prescribe what hymnes prefaces graduals and collects or prayers were to bee vsed it is euident these were before and he being Pope and cheife prescribed the order how they should bee vsed which proueth he rather tooke some away then added any for amonge them were before praescripsit he prescribed which and no others should bee vsed And wheras there is a controuersie by some whether this prescription and orderinge these things was by Pope Gelasius or one called Scholasticus Master Foxe the Protestant historian decideth this question Io. Foxe in Q. Mary pag. 1403. teaching out of vetusto quodam libro de officio Missa an old booke of the office of Masse that these were both one and Gelasius beinge Scholasticus before was made Pope Gelasius Papa ex Scholastico effectus in ordine 48 And thus much of Gelasius 8. After whome for an intermedler in these affaires our protestants propose Pope Symmachus Barnes in vit Pontif. Rom. in Symmacho Bal. l. 2. in eod who commaunded gloria in excelsis Deo to bee sunge vppon sondayes and feasts of Saints In Dominico die Sanctorum natalitijs gloria in excelsis canendum esse dixit or by an other praecepit But if they meane the first part of this holy hymne it was the songe of the Angels at the birthe of Christ and recommended vnto vs in scripture and by one of these protestants vsed at Masse by the commaundement of Saint and Pope Telesphorus who liued in the Apostles time gloria in excelsis Deo c. in Missa canendum praecepit Rob. Barnes in vit Pontif. Rom. in Telesphoro S. Petro and if they meane the whole canticle as it is now vsed their brother Iohn Foxe with others thus testifieth Iohn Foxe supr in Q. Mary The hymne gloria in excelsis which was sunge of the Angels at the birth of our Sauiour was augmented by Hilarius Pictauiensis with those words that follow singing it first in his owne church which was an 340. afterward brought into other churches by Pope Symmachus And our histories testifie it was vsed here in Britanie by S. German in his time And our English Protestants vse it in their publicke church seruice at this day by publicke authoritie Engl. Protestant communion booke morninge prayer 9. That which a Protestant Bishop writeth of this Pope that he reduced the Masse to forme Missam in formam redegit Bal. l. 2. Act. Pontif. Rom. in Symmacho is his formall forgery or foolery confounded by many vndeniable instances graunted by protestants before as the forme of Masse of S. Peter S Iames S. Matthew S Marke S. Clement S. Basile S. Chrisostome and Popes of Rome longe before this time as amonge other witnesses this Protestant Bishop himselfe testifieth of S. Innocentius Syricius S. Celestine S. Leo and Gelasius Bal. in Act. Pontif. Rom. in Innocent Syric Calestino Leon. Gelas therefore without euident contradiction and wilfull errour he cannot intend or affirme that Pope Symmachus did first bringe the Masse into order Therefore of necessitie to keepe himselfe from these absurdities he must vnderstand that Pope Symmachus confirmed or allowed of the forme of Masse formerlie vsed in the church which all Popes good Christians euer did and ought to doe 10. And here endeth the fift hundred yeare at which time and longe after as with others our protestants assure vs that S. Dubritius that great massinge Prelate and Archbishop primate here the Popes Legate and great Master of diuinitie together with S. Iltutus priuiledged in the same facultie by papall authoritie and S. Gildas by whome all Britanie and other contries receaued instruction were liuinge and consequently agreeing in all thinges with the church of Rome Bal. cent 1. in Dubritie Iltuto Gylda Albanio Godwin Catal. in S. Dauids Capgrau Catal. in Dubrit Iltut Gild. About which time also amonge diuers others those three great lights of our Brittish church knowne massinge preists and Bishops S. Dauid that succeeded S. Dubritius in his archiepiscopall dignitie S. Thelians and S. Patern began to florish and went that great Pilgrimage to Hierusalem M. S. antiq Capgrau Catal. in S. Dauid S. Thelian S. Paterno alij M. S. S. Theliai apud Godwin Catal. in Landaff 2. and both in going and returninge through Italy and those places and ordinarily sayinge Masse must needs vse that order and forme therof they found to bee vsed at Rome and all places receauinge direction from thence in such affaires and so here I end this age and centenary of yeares THE SIXTH AGE OR HVNDRED YEARES OF CHRIST THE XXI CHAPTER Wherein being confessed by our protestant writers that all the Popes of Rome vnto S. Gregory were massinge preists and Popes yet not any one of thē by these protestāts cōfession made any the least materiall chaunge or alteration in these misteries NOw wee are come to the sixt age or hundred of yeares of Christ wherin liued S. Gregory the great Pope of Rome that sent S. Augustine and diuers other holie cleargie men hither which conuerted a greater part of this nation and kingdome called England Wherefore seeing by confession of our best learned protestants the Christian Britans of this Iland had from their first conuersion vnto Christ and did at the coming of S. Augustine from Rome continue in the same holy faith and Religion which they had learned and receued in the Apostles time and hitherto we haue not found any materiall difference in any age between them the church of Rome in these cheif questions I haue in hand now to make euidēt demonstration by these aduersaries to the holy Romane Religion that this church neuer altered any substantiall matter by their owne iudgement at before or after the cominge of S. Augustine hither I will first set downe all the pretended chaunges additiōs or alteratiōs which these protestants charge that holy church withall in these affaires prouinge them to bee of no moment or essentiall And after shew how the Christian Britans in this age also as in all the former still agreed in these questions with the church of Rome And wheras there was then some difference betweene the disciples of S. Gregorie and the Britās here about the obseruation of Easter and some other questions rather ceremoniall then substantiall in Religion that the church euen by the testimonie of our protestants did hold the truth in these matters and such Britans and Scots as held the contrary were in confessed and vnexcusable error 2. The first alleaged chaunger or additioner of any thinge in the holy sacrifice of Masse which our protestants obiect among the Popes of Rome in this age is Horsmida who as these men write commaunded that altars should not be erected without the assent of the Bishop Ne altaria sine Episcopi assensu erigerentur iussit Rob. Barnes in vit Pontif. Rom. in Horsmida Bal. in Act. Pont. in eod but this was according to holy scriptures to haue Superiors and commaunders to bee obeyed remember them
sacrificium gentium sicut dicit per os Malachiae ô my Master I feare that God hath cast vs away froÌ„ him and our sacrifice also and hath accepted the sacrifice of the gentiles as hee speaketh by the mouth of Malachy And immediatlie citing the wordes of that Prophet as before concludeth thus for the sacrifice of Masse vsed by Christians sacrificium gentium est mundus quam sacrificium nostrum The sacrifice of the gentils so he called Christians conuerted of the gentiles is more pure then our sacrifice 9. Thus commonly also the holy Christian Fathers among whom S. Augustine citinge that prophesie of Malachie thus speaketh to the Iewes Augustin orat contra Iudaeos cap. 9. Quid ad haec respondetis aperite oculos tandem aliquando videte ab oriente sole vsque ad occidentem non in vno sicut vobis fuerat constitutum sed in omni loco sacrificium Christianorum offerri non cuilibet Deo sed ei qui ista praedixit Deo Israel What do you answere to these things open your eyes sometime at the laste and see that the sacrifice of Christians is offered from East to West not in one place as it was appointed vnto you but in euery place not to euery one that is called God but to him the God of Israel that foretold thâ—…se thinges Therefore seeing the word of God proposed by his holy Prophet cannot bee vntrue but must needs be verified in some sacrifice offered thus vnto him by some professors of Religion and all others besides Christians are thus clearely excluded and Christians haue only one externall sacrifice of the Masse conteining the oblation of Christs most blessed body blood the onely most pure sacrifice and acceptable vnto God and offered in euery place in the whole world it must needs bee this pure and generall sacrifice 10. To which our protestants themselues to make all sure do thus giue testimonie First his Maiestie as Casaubon hath published by warraÌ„t Casaub Resp ad Card. Per. pag. 51.52 neither is the Kinge Ignorant nor denieth that the Fathers of the primatiue church did acknowledge one sacrifice in Christian Religion that succeeded in the place of the sacrifice of Moises lawe And both from our Kinge and D. Andrewes the Protestant Bishop now of Winchester affirmeth of this sacrifice pag. 50.51 sup It is Christs body the same obiect and thinge which the Roman church beleeueth An other diuidinge Christians into the Latine and Greeke church as the common diuision is and telling vs as all acknowledge that in all contries of the Latine church remayning still in obedience to the see of Rome the sacrifice of the Masse is publickly in all places offered and in the contries that haue reuolted lately from it the same sacrifice is priuatly with many still celebrated thus hee writeth of the Greeke church Edwine Sands relation of Religion cap. 53. or 54. with Rome they concur in the opinion of transsubstantiation and generally in the seruice and whole body of the Masse in praying to Saints in auricular confession in offeringe of sacrifice and prayer for the dead They hold purgatory also and worshipping of pictures Their Liturgies bee the same that in the old time namlie S. Basils S. Chrisostoms and S. Gregories that which the Roman church now vseth translated without any bendinge them to that chaunge of language which theire tongue hath suffered 11. Chytraeus a German protestant writinge de statu Ecclesiae of the state of the church pag. 7.8.11.13.15.18.20.21 saith Among all the nations of Greece Asia Africa Ethiopia Armenia c. all places are full of Masses the sacrifice of the Masse is offered for the liuing and the dead The Georgians inhabiting old Iberia and Albania The Syrians name S. Basile author of their Masse The Armenians inhabitinge most large spaces of the earth from the bounds of Cappadocia and Cilicia vnto Iberta the Caspian sea Media and Assiria are moste like the papists in Religion and ceremonies in their Masse they remember inuocation and intercession of Saints offering vp of the Sacrament Also euery where in Persia and all the east the Christians doe the same The Maronites at mount Libanus are conformable to the Latine church in all thinges The Iacob is in Asia and Africke are more by much propagated and haue their Masses 12. Our English Protestant translator of the author of the booke of the estates Empires principalities of the world Edw. Grymston pref to the Reader although as he confesseth he altereth and addeth at his pleasure cannot finde out any one prouince or contry of note in al the whole world where hee dareth to affirme and can proue that this holy sacrifice of Masse is not there offered vnto God The same proueth pag. 102. to pag. 283. in the estate of the K. of Spaine that the Kinge Catholicke of Spaine by land and Sea in all parts of the worlde Europe Asia Africke and America is the greatest Emperour and Kinge that now presently is or euer heretofore hath beene in the world possessinge more territories and dominions then all Turkes Tartars Pagans and enemies of Christianitie that be and yet in all these dominions this most holy sacrifice of Masse is publickly offered and celebrated with great honor and glorie So that if it were receued no where els but in his territories the prophesy of Malachias is fulfilled in his dominions as well appeareth by this and all Cosmographers of these dayes that truely sett downe the estates of great Princes There is no maine part ab ortu solis vsque ad occasum from the risinge of the sunne vnto the setting thereof nor from the settinge to the rising againe but he hath some dominion there as a late verse is of the Enfante Mary of Spaine her Father and her brother is in the same condition Vnto her greatnes witnes giues the sunne tasked no houre to shine at any hand As he his course about the globe doth runne but on some part of her late Fathers land An homage which hee neuer did before to any Prince nor like to doe no more 13. And yet besides these so many and vaste countries our protestants haue told vs before that all the other three parts of the world Asia Africke and Europe are full of Masses and sacrificinge Christian preists Which this protestant also confirmeth Grymston supr in these kingdoms pag. 700. c. teaching that not only in the territories but in Tartaria China Iapan Peru Magor Calicut Narsing Persia all the Turks estates in Europe Africk and Asia Monomotapa Congo Moraco and from the rising to the setting of the sunne the prophesie of Malachie is iustified and performed for in all these places Mincha tehora thusia Cathara the pure sacrifice hee speaketh of the holy sacrifice of Masse is offered to the name of God and his name is great among the Gentiles 14. This is the state of thinges at this time Thus it was from the first planting of christianity in the whole
4. pag. 118. de Sacrosancta Eucharistia Ipsius necessitatem toties inculcauit nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis biberetis eius sanguinem non habebitis vitam in vobis â—…anis quem ego dabo caro mea est pro mundi vita Ioh. 6. Luc. 22. postea in vltima caena accepto pane gratias egit fregit dedit eis dicens hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis datur hoc facite in meam commemorationem Panis consecrationem in corpus Christi vini in sanguinem ipse coram Apostolis fecit eandem ipsi quoque vt facerent frangerent darent expressè mandauit Concerninge the holy Eucharist Christ did very often inculcate the necessitie of it except you shall eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood you shall not haue life in you The food which I will giue is my flesh for the life of the world After in his laste supper when he had taken bread he gaue thankes brake and gaue to them saying this is my body which is giuen for you doe this in my commemoration Hee made the consecration of breade into the body of Christ of wine into his blood before the Apostles and expressely commaunded that they also should do the same consecration of bread wine into Christs body and blood 10. And in an other place he teacheth with S. Chrisostome whom he followeth therein and other holy auncient Fathers Marc. Anto. l. 1. cap. 1. pag. 9. Chrisostom hom 17. in epist ad Hebr. That the sacrifice which the Apostles were here commaunded to offer by Christs wordes doe this and which by that power they did offer and which all truely consecrated preists did after offer was the same body blood of Christ which hee himselfe offered the same and no other sacrifice Hoc facite in meam commemorationem Quid ergo nos ait Chrisostomus nonne per singulos dies offerrimus offerrimus quidem Et vna est hostia non multae Quomodo vna est non multae quia semel oblata est in Sancto Sanctorum hoc autem sacrificium exemplar est illius idipsum semper offerrimus Pontifex noster ille qui hostiam mundantem nos obtulit ipsam offerrimus nunc quae tunc oblata quidem consumi non potest And much more to as great effect or greater and yet at his pleasure hee doth maine and make lame the sentences of that holy Author And to auoide the friuolous cauill of some about the wordes in my remembrance or commemoration of mee whereby they would haue it gathered that this is onely a commemoratiue sacrifice or commemoration of that sacrifice this man with all other Protestants Marc. Ant. l. 1. cap. 12. pag· 146 147. Mumer 26.27 and the expresse scriptures are witnes that the preists and sacrifice of the lawe of nature and Moises of Adam Seth Enoch Noe Sem Abraham Isaac Iacob and his twelue sonnes Iob Melchisedech Aaron and all in the lawe were true preists and sacrificers yet they were in all Christian learninge but figures of the truth in the time of the Messias 11. Therefore if this were onely a commemoration it should at leaste by as great reason and authoritie bee also a sacrifice and the parson that celebrateth it a sacrificinge preist both beeing farr more excellent then those preists and sacrifices And the words in remembrance or commemoration are so far from hindering the truth of these preists and sacrifice that they rather giue a second power vertue vnto them euen by these protestants themselues for they haue told vs before that by these wordes doe this Christ gaue power to consecrate the bread and wine into his body and blood and doe what hee did in that sacrifice then addinge after the wordes in remembrance or commemoration he gaue them a second power and commaundement different from the other yet both of them preistly and sacrificall otherwise Christ himselfe should bee said which cannot be that hee did consecrate and offer this remembrance of himselfe and his owne action Therefore the words must needs conteine a double virtuall power and commaund to the Apostles the one part and principall beeing to doe that Christ did expressed plainely in the powerfull wordes doe this the other in remembrance or commemoration conteyned in the same terms Which was by a then publick protestant preachinge minister both preached publickly and with publicke allowance after printed in this maner Edw. Maie serm of the communion of Saints printed by Iohn Dauson an 1621. pag. 6. 12. God hath giuen to preists a power ouer his owne naturall bodie which is himselfe for to them onely was it said doe this in remembrance of mee by which words they haue commission to dispose of that very body which was giuen for the life of the world and of that inualuable blood which was shed to redeeme sinfull soules for which cause the Bishops and presbyters haue as antiquitie can tell beene honored with an honor which no Kinge no Angel had euer giuen him They are the makers of Christs body they doe a worke which none but the holy Ghost besides them euer did And in the margine hee thus citeth Isodor Pelusota l. 2. epist 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a power the Kings of the earth haue not An other speakinge of the consecratory preistly power by those words of Christ spoken in his parson This is my body This is my blood concludeth Couel def of Hooker pag. 116.117.276 The omnipotency of God maketh it his body And of preists To these parsons God imparteth power ouer that naturall body which is himselfe a worke which antiquitie calleth the making of Christs body And of preistly power By blessing visible elements it maketh them inuisible grace it hath to dispose of that flesh which was giuen for the life of the world and that blood which was powred out to redeeme soules Others say The sacrifice of the altare and vnbloody sacrifice were vsed in the primatiue church The primatiue church did offer sacrifice at the altare for the deade sacrifice for the deade was a tradition of the Apostles and auncient Fathers Aerius was iustly condemned of heresie by the primatiue church for denying sacrifice for the dead Middlet Papistom pag. 51.91.113.49.137.139.47.48 Fâ—…ild l. 3. cap. 29. pag. 138. 13. And to put vs out of doubt that this is or should bee the common doctrine and Religion of all English Protestants their chosen champion with greatest allowance amonge them as hee affirmeth writeth plainely Haec est fides Regis haec est fides Ecclesiae Anglicanae this is the faith of the Kinge this is the faith of the church of England Io. Casaub resp ad Card. Peron pag. 51.52 And their publicke statute of al the Protestant Princes of England saith so and so decreeth to be obserued of all authentically prouinge in protestants Religion that this most holy sacrifice of the altar was instituted by Christ that it is
Timothie his scholler dead longe before S. Lucius Britanniae Rex S. Timothei Apostoli Pauli discipuli cruditione ad Religionem Christi inductus est Petr. Merssaeus Annal. Archiep. eccl Treuer in S. Marcello If wee reflect vppon the Saints that were sent cheife Legats hither from Rome S. Fugatius and Damianus the principall of them in all antiquities as wee must needs to giue them their due that bee chosen and selected mē they must needes be learned vertuous and of mature age and iudgment to be imploied in so weightie a busines and as all histories testifie they were and so must needes bee consecrated massinge preists beeing sacred by those remembred sacrificinge Popes which neither did nor could consecrate any other nor they bringe any other doctrine in this or any other points of Religion but what they had receaued from those holy Popes 4. And to this besides so many generall Arguments S. Gildas the moste auncient and renowned Brittish Author is a particular witnes if it could please our protestants to publish it to the worlde except that renowned Abbot Doctor Fecknham did abuse his auditory in the first parlament of Queene Elizabeth in his publicke oration which no indifferent man will thinke hee did or durst to doe for feare of open shame and confusion if hee should haue aduouched an vntruth in that assemblie And yet speaking principally of the sacrifice of Masse then to bee condemned by that parlament citeth Gildas in the proeme of his history testifyinge that the same Religion and church seruice the sacrifice of Masse which was then to bee abrogated was brought hither and settled here in the Latine tonge by the Legats of Pope Eleutherius Abbot Fecknham orat in parlam 2. of Queene Elizabeth and all our cheife protestant antiquaries and historians of England as their Bishops Parker Bale Godwine with others Gosteline Powell Foxe Fulke Middleton Stowe Holinshed others confidently affirming that the Christian Brittans neuer chaunged in any materiall thinge that holy Religion which they receaued in the time of the Apostles but constantly continued in the same vntill the cominge of S. Augustine hither from S. Gregory the great Pope of Rome and after Parker antiquitat Britan. pag. 6.45.46 Balaeus l. 2. de act Pontif. Rom. in Gregor 1. l. de scriptor cent 1. in August Dronotho Godwin conuers of Brit. Powel annot in l. 2. Giraldi Camb. de Itiner Cambr. cap. 1. Foxe act pag. 463. edit an 1576. Fulke answ to a count Cath. pag. 40. Middelt papistom pag. 202 Stow histor in S. Augustine and Kinge Ethelbert Holinsh. histor of Engl. cap. 21. pag. 102. 5. But as I haue proued before by these protestants and otherwise the Britans by that Apostolicke man receaued the doctrine profession and practise of sacrificinge preisthood preists and sacrifice of Masse and continued them vnto this time soe I will demonstrate by them and all antiquities hereafter in euery age that they kept and obserued the same inuiolablie to those dayes and after without interruption And yet this is but a needles probation for being so inuincibly proued before that they receaued these holy doctrines and professions from the Apostles and from them to these daies if they had departed from them now or after they should bee apparantly guiltie of error in departinge from those truthes which the Apostles and all from them to these dayes continued And if wee looke into the catalogues of holy writers in this time whose works bee preserued to posteritie wee shall see that the holy sacrifice of Masse and massinge preists were generally in al places in as great vse and honour as at this day The moste renowned writers of this time whose bookes bee extant now were S. Iustine S. Irenaeus and Tertullian all they doe plainelie testifie that the sacrifice of Masse offeringe vp the sacred body and blood of Christ was the generally vsed knowne sacrifice of the Christians in this time in omni loco in euerie place saith S. Iustine Iustin Dialog cum Tryhone Ecclesia in vniuerso mundo offert Deo The church doth offer it in all the world saith S. Irenaeus Irenaeus aduers Haeres lib. 4. cap. 32. therefore the church of Britanie must needs offer it and I haue proued by our Brittish antiquities before that Rome Fraunce and Britanie in these daies of Eleutherius and Irenaeus which went to Rome in the papacy of S. Eleutherius vsed one and the same order of Masse And Tertullian that notorious massing Author declaring how Christiā Religion was then dilated in the worlde and the sacrifice of Masse was the common sacrifice thereof expressely nameth this our Britanie to haue receaued the Christian faith and to agree with other Christian nations therin Tertullian de cultu Faeminar cap. 11. l. ad Scapul cap. 2. l. de orat cap 14. l. de vel Virg. cap. 9. l. contra Iudaeos S. Iohn Chrisostome speaking of this conuersion of our Britans witnesseth manifestly and our protestants acknowledge it for truth that the Brittish churches then founded which were many had altars for their preists erected in them Chrisostom serm· de Pentecost protest Theater of great Britanie l. 6. § 12. which as is confessed before by these protestants neither were nor could in Christian Religion bee ordeyned but for massinge preists and the sacrifice of Masse as wee finde in the moste auncient churches of this nation as S. Iosephs dedicated to our Lady at Glastēburie Antiquit Glaston Capgrau in S. Patricio M. S. antiq in Lucio S. Martins at Canterbury and the olde church at Winchester where as we read there were Christian altares so also that the sacrifice of Masse was from their first foundation offered on them Bed hist. l. 1. cap. 27. Galfr. Monum l. 11. histor cap. 4. Stowe histor in Constantine sonne of Cador. c. so of S. Peters church in Cornhill in London and others And S. Damianus and Phaganus the cheife Legats of S. Eleutherius bearing so great deuotion to the massing church builded by S. Ioseph at Glastenbury that they themselues continued and dwelled there some time and settled twelue of their company to continue there duringe their liues must needs bee massinge preists as all had here euer beene from the Apostles time in which faith and Religion this holy Pope as our protestants with al antiquities assure vs confirmed the kingdome of Britanie Eleutherius vt bonus paterfamilias effecit vt confirmatis consolidatis Britannis in suscepta prius ab Apostolis doctrina totum illud regnum in eius fidei verba iuraret Ioh. Bal. l. 1. de act Pontif. Rom. in Eleutherio 6. So that by this Protestant Bishop and his and other authorities those doctrines of sacrificinge preists and Masse which from the Apostles dayes as I haue aboundantly proued had without discontinuance euer continued here in diuers particular places and parsons were now generally by this holy Pope and his massinge Legats established and confirmed in this kingedome confirmatis
Papisticae Missae inseruit And yet this sacrificinge massinge and papisticall Pope was hee by all antiquities on whome Britanie in those dayes did cheifly depend for direction and instruction in matters of Religion 3. Therefore to make all peace and attonement wee may by the proceedings and institutions of this holy Pope and our Master and Pedagogue in Christ let vs learne of our protestants themselues what were the things he added to the sacrifice of Masse whether any matter essentiall or that may be excepted against They haue told vs that before his additions the Masse was papisticall and concerninge his additions In initio sacrificij vt psalmus Iudica me Deus discerne causam me am c. à sacrificaturo diceretur ordinauit graduale in Missa ordinauit He ordeyned that the psalme Iudge mee ô God discerne my cause should be said in the beginning of the sacrifice by the preist that offereth the sacrifice and he ordeyned the graduale should be said in Masse Rob. Barn l. de vit Pontif. Rom. in Caelest Magdeb. cent 5. in Caelest so write others of these protestāts amōg whom one a Bishop saith Caelestinus introitum graduale responsorium tractum offertorium vt propria inuenta papisticae Missae inseruit Pope Celestine did put into the papisticall Masse as inuentions of his own the introite graduale responsorie tract and offertory Iohn Foxe Tom. 2. in Q. Mary Cartwright admon Whitg answ to the admonit pag. 94. sect 1.2 Io. Bal. l. 2. act Pontif Roman in Caelestino which wordes of his vt propria inuenta as his owne inuentions are the euident forgery and inuention of this protestant for all these thinges are plaine wordes of holy scriptures in all places and so the inuentions of God himselfe and not Pope Celestines And if hee meaneth that the placing them in the Masse was his inuention which hee doth not insinuate why was it not lawfull for him to vse the scriptures in Masse otherwise no prayer or part of Masse or whatsoeuer liturgie or publicke office of any church could bee lawfull nothinge could be lawfull for nothinge is more lawfull or warranted then the word of God and scripture Yet it was not S. Celestines inuention to place any one of these in the Masse but they were all vsed therin before his time euen by the confession of these protestants themselues For first concerning the introite it is one of the psalmes of Dauid the 42. by the Latine accompt and by the Hebrue 43. and such kind of introite to the holy Masse was in vse longe before this Popes time as our protestants acknowledge wherof one thus confesseth Io. Foxe To. 2. Act. and Monum Q. Mary pag. 1401. Chrisostome in the eleuenth homely vpon the Ghospell of S. Matthew saith that in his time and before his time the vse was to singe whole psalmes till they were entered and assembled together And so belike Caelestinus borrowed this custome of of the Greekes and brought it into the Latine church Therfore by these men S. Caelestine was not the Author of this custome yet if he had bene no protestāt or Christian will say that sayinge or singinge holy psalmes so warranted in scripture is an vnlawfull but a lawfull and godly exercise 4. The same protestant Author maketh the graduale response and tract of as auncient standinge when hee thus speaketh of the graduale and consequently of the others belonging vnto it Foxe supr the graduale the people were went to singe when the Bishop was about to go vp to the pulpit or some higher standinge where the worde of God might be better more sensibly heard at his mouth readinge the epistle and the ghospell Which custome hee maketh as auncient or more auncient then the time of Pope Alexander in the Empire of Traian Touchinge the laste which is the offertorie it is euident by these protestants and al testimonies before that it was and of necessitie must needs be vsed from the begininge for where there is Masse sacrifice and oblation offered there must needes bee an offeringe or offertorie thereof otherwise it could not bee offered Foxe supr Therefore this protestāt acknowledgeth it to haue bene vsed before the time of S. Irenaeus so neare the Apostles and that hee thus doth remember it Iren. l. 4. cap. 18. pro diuersis sacrificiorum ritibus simplex oblatio panis vini fidelibus sufficiat In stedd of diuers rites of sacrifices in the olde lawe one oblation of breade and wine serueth Therfore I will conclude with these words of a protestāt Archbishop Celestinus was a godly Bishop and the church of Rome at that time had the substance of the Sacraments according to Gods word neither was there any superstition mixed with them Iohn Whitg def of the answ to the admonit pag. 588. 5. And in this opinion are and ought to bee all our English Protestant antiquaries and diuines which generally hold teach that the Britans of this kingedome inuiolablie kept the true faith and Religion of Christ in all things vntill the cominge of S. Augustine and his companions from S. Gregory the great Pope of Rome in the later end of the sixt hundred yeares for most certaine and vndoubted it is by all antiquities that this nation at this time of S. Celestine being infected with the Pelagian Hereticks learned and subtile in disputation this holy Pope sent many holy Bishops hither to confute that heresie instruct the ignorant repaire the decaied discipline of our church and reforme many abuses growne by reason of that heresie and the Saxon Pagans which then were entered into this Iland Which Legates of this holy Pope must needs bee adiudged to bee of the same faith and Religion with him that sent them by his authoritie and direction to effect those holy labours He sent the two holie Bishops S. Germanus Lupus into this part of Britanie S. Palladius into Scotland S. Patricke and Segetius into Ireland I haue spoken of S. Palladius before how by his power from the see of Rome hee placed sacrificing and massinge preists and Bishops amonge the Scots and Picts in the north parts of this kingdome of vnited great Britanie Prosper in Chronic. ad An. 432. Rob. Barnes l. de vit Pontif. Rom. in Caelestino Io. Bal. l. 2. Act. Pontif. Rom. in eod Bal. l. de scriptor Brit. cent 1. in Leporio Agricola 6. Also I haue shewed out of our auncient Brittish Manuscript otherwise before how both S. German and Lupus were massinge preists and Bishops and obserued the auncient forme of Masse composed by S. Marke therefore beeing sent by authoritie from that massinge Pope S. Celestine they neither did nor might vary and differ from the opinion and practise of him that sent him as S. Prosper who liued at that time and others write to supply his owne place and parson in ordering and reforminge the church of Britanie Papa Celestinus Germanum Antisiodorensem Episcopum voce sua mittit vt deturbatis
said nation of the said Angles much more vvorthie preachers by vvhome they might be brought to the faith And then immediatly they set downe S. Augustine Mellitus Iustus and Iohn with others sent hither by S. Gregory to bee these much more vvorthie preachers by vvhom this nation was brought to the faith And this might suffice in this matter but for the ful clearing of al doubts I will further fully proue how al preists and Bishops in Britanie in this age were sacrificing massing preists and the best learned and most holy amonge them did in all things ioyne with the Popes and church of Rome and they which opposed moste against S. Augustine and his associates sent from thence in some ceremoniall customes did in these points all others which protestants most dislike in Catholick Romane Religion vtterly disagree from these protestants and hold the same doctrine practise generally as S. Augustine did and the members of the present Romane Apostolick church doe at this day THE XXIII CHAPTER Wherein demonstration is made both by protestants and other testimonies that during all this age and hundred of yeares vntill and after the coming of S. Augustine this kingdome had many holy massinge preists and Bishops agreeinge in these and all other articles of Religiō with the church of Rome IN the later end of the fift hundred of yeares of Christ I made relation how amonge many others those two renowned massinge preists S. Dubritius the great Archbishop of Caerlegion and the Popes Legate made Bishop by the massing Bishop and Legate of the see Apostolicke and S. Iltutus disciple of the same massing Bishop and Legate S. Germanus were Tutors and Masters in Religion and diuinitie not only to the cleargie of this Iland but many others and neither did nor could teach them any other doctrine in these points then they had receued from others and practised by themselues about holy preisthood and sacrifice of Masse And as both protestants other antiquaries tell vs both these liued 20. yeares at the leaste in the beginninge of this sixt age S. Iltutus beeing aliue and florishinge in the yeare 520. claruit anno à Christi natiuitate 520. and S. Dubritius liuinge two yeares after obijt anno gratiae 522. Bal. l. de scriptor Britan. cent 1. in Ilchtuto in Dubritio Godw. Catal. in S. Dauids in Dubritius therefore wee may boldly say that among so great numbers of their massing schollers many of them liued a great part if not all this age The auncient Manuscript of the Saints of Wales the Apologist of the antiquitie of Cambridge and others thus testifie of S. Dubritius M. S. antiq de vit Sanctorum Wall in S. Dubritio Io. Caius l. 1. de antiquit Cantabr Academ pag. 145.146 Creuit illius fama cum vtriusque legis nouae veteris peritia per totā Britanniam ita quod ex omni parte totius Britanniae scholares veniebant non tantum rudes sed etiam viri sapientes Doctores ad eum studendi causa confluebant Imprimis Sanctus Helianus Sampson discipulus suus Vbelnius Merchiguinus Elguoredus Gunuinus Longual Artbodu Longur Arguistil Iunabin Conbram Goruan Guernabin Iouan Elheharn Iudnon Curdocui Aidan Cinuarch cum his mille clericos per septem annos continuo in podo seu pago Hentlan super ripam Guy in studio literarum diuinae sapientiae humanae retinuit Where we see he had a thousand schollers at one time and place seuen yeares together that were clergy men students in diuinitie and in an other place called in the Brittish languadge Mocros miraculously assigned vnto him hee had as these antiquities say innumerable schollers many yeares together cum suis innumerabilibus discipulis mansit per plures annos regendo studium l. de vit Sanct. Wall Caius sup pag. 147.148 M. S. antiq Capgrau in S. Iltuto Tatheo 2. The like they write of the scholes of S. Iltutus and S. Tatheus or as some call him Thatheus The antiquaries of Cambridge alleage for the immunities and priuiledges of their vniuersitie the auncient Charter dated at London in the yeare of Christ 531 of Kinge Arthur that knowne reuerencer of sacrificing preists and Masse Charta priuileg Arthuri an 531. apud Caium antiq Cantabrig l. 1. and both Catholicks and protestants testifie that the auncient vniuersitie of Standford continued in this time and vntill S. Gregory interdicted it for heresies that fell amonge the Saxons and Britans together mixt Harding histor in King Ethelbert Stowe and Howes historie in Bladud therefore wee may assure our selues that notwithstandinge so many troubles alterations as chaunced here in those daies they continued the holy doctrine and custome of Masse and sacrificinge preists For S. Gregory so knowne and confessed a Patron and practiser of these thinges neither would nor could haue interdicted that vniuersitie for any thinge which hee himselfe so embraced and honored So that it is euident that the whole kingdome of Britanie in this time followinge the doctrine which their scholes and vniuersities taught them must needs then allowe these holy misteries of which I write The same is euident both by the Kings which then reigned here as also by the Archbishops who ruled in Religious affaires The Kings in the beginning of this age were Vther pendragon who died about the yeare of Christ 515. beeinge for Religion of the same with the massinge Archbishops S. Dubritius and S. Sampson with the sacrificinge Bishops and preists by whose generall consent he was crowned Kinge Vther conuocato regni clero caepit diadema Insula annuētibusque cunctis sublimatus est in Regem Galfr. Mon. l. 8. cap. 17. Math. Westm. ad an 498 and when his death was knowne they as solemly assembled to giue him Princely Christian buriall Cum obitus Regis diuulgatus fuisset aduenerunt Pontifices cum clero regni tuleruntque corpus eius ad caenobium Ambrij iuxta Aurelium Ambrosium more regio humauerunt 2. Next was Kinge Arthur how he was engaged in this holy doctrines it is sufficiēt Argument that being but 15. yeares of age and his birth by many not without exception hee was with the generall applause both of the sacrificinge cleargie and their ghostly children crowned Kinge by S. Dubritius the Popes Legate and renowned massinge Archbishop and primate of Britanie with the other massing Bishops therof Defuncto Vtherpendragon conuenerunt ex diuersis Prouincijs proceres Britonum Dubritio Vrbis Legionum suggerentes vt Arthurum filium Regis in Regem consecraret Dubritius associatis sibi Episcopis Arthurum regni diademate insignuit Galfrid Mon l. 9. cap. 1. Matth. Westm. ad an gratiae 516. Stowe histor Britans and Saxons in Arthur Io. Bal. l. de script Brit. cent 1. in Dubritio Godwin Catalog in S. Dauids to this his whole life in fighting against the enemies of that holy Religion the sacred churches and altars which he reedified for that heauenly sacrifice and charters of
yeares spirituall matters were ordered here by authoritie and direction from the see of Rome and successors of S. Peter there In the second hundred of yeares is proued by the same protestant authors and their antiquities how from the beginninge of that age to the end thereof all spirituall things were likewise managed here by that see Apostolicke more or lesse as the times then permitted And in the generall conuersion of kinge Lucius and his kingdome all ecclesiasticall businesses were done and settled by iurisdiction of the popes of Rome and their legats directed hither by their authoritie exercising here as ample iurisdiction spirituall to the greate honor of this kingdome as any pope of Rome may clayme Such was the estate of spirituall power and proceedings here in the third fourth fift and sixte age or hundred of yeares also in the later end whereof S. Augustine was sent hither to conuert our auncestors the Saxons In all which ages and Centenaries of yeares both the Kings Archbishops Bishops and others both Rulers and Ruled in this kingdome gaue as much priuiledge and prerogatiue to the popes of Rome as Catholicks now may doe by their catholick Roman Religion In which tyme also amonge all those christians which then liued here those Bishops of Scotland and Walles who as our protestants tell vs and commend them for it did onely or most oppose against the pope his legates and authoritie here were those alsoe by the same protestants which did much more intermeddle in princes affaires then any popes their legats or such as were most obedient vnto or Ruled by them Which proceedings the Author doth in all places leaue to protestants relation and medleth not with them otherwise at all But soe much as with probabilitie in historie hee may mitigateth such matters as some protestants euen with publick allowance of the protestant state of EnglaÌ„d haue boldly published to the world in that kinde freely and before God protesting as hee neuer hitherto had any intermedlinge with the temporall affaires of Princes but euer to his vttermost did yeeld and render all dutie vnto them praying for the safety honor and preseruation of his Soueraigne and this kingdome soe hee will euer continue the same moste humble and dutifull affection Other particular Questions in Religion depend vppon this Because whosoeuer in anie Religion hath the cheife chardge and cure the particulars depend vpon his proceedings whether it bee Pope Prince Superintendents Presbyteries or whatsoeuer and soe beeing proued that from the beginninge of christianitie in this kingdome the Pope of Rome euer had cheife coÌ„maund direction in Religious things It must needs followe that which protestants name papistrie euer raigned here But I vnderstand there is a generall controuersiall historie to bee shortly published of all such things in particular from the first preaching of the Gospell in this kingdome which will giue full aâ—… ample satisfaction in all such Questions THE FIRST CENTVRIE OR HVNDRED OF YEARES THE I. CHAPTER Wherein is briefly made demonstration by the best learned protestant Antiquaries and others of England that Saint Peter the Apostle first preached the faith and founded the Church of Christ in this our Britanie TO bringe vs vnto a more certayne and vndoubted knowledge of the first preachers of christian Religion in this kingdome the best learned protestant Antiquaries wee haue prescribe certayne Rules and squares to bee directed by to come vnto them in their iudgment Matth. Parker antiq Britan. pag. 1. Godw. Conuers of Brit. Holinsh hist. of Engl. Mason l. 2· c. 2. pag. 51. Theater of great Brit. l. 6. cap. 9. first they affirme that the Britans receaued the faith soone after the Ascension of our blessed Sauiour in the time of Tiberius Caius Caligula or Claudius Emperor and they build this their assertion cheifely vppon the words of S. Gildas l. de Excid conq Britan. c· 5.6 Who speaking of things done here in Britanie either in the time of Caius or Claudius addeth Interea glaciali frigore rigent Insulae indulget sua praecepta Christus In the meane time while these things were doinge Christ doth afford his precepts to this frozen Iland In which place hee rather meaneth the time of Claudius then any other as may easely appeare to all iudiciall and equall readers of that auncient Author in the place alleadged needles to bee insisted vppon if wee will bee guided by our protestant directors because in their next Rules they shall make it euident It must needes in their opinion bee soe vnderstood For they deliuer for a second Maxime that this nation embraced and was taught the Religion of Christ by some one of the Apostles Soe say their Archbishop Parker in antiq Britan. Bal. in act Pontif. Rom. in Gregor 1. Cambd. in Brit. Fulke Answ. to a Romish cath pag. 40. Powel annot in l. 2. Giral Cambr. Itiner Cambr. c. 1. Holinsh. histor of Eng. c. 21. pag. 102. Stowe histor in Agricola Stow. supr Godwyn supr their Bishops Bale Godwyn their doctors and Antiquaries Cambden Fulke Powel Holinshed Stowe the Theater writers and others inclining to this opinion and some of them plainely teaching with diuers of the auntient fathers that the 12. Apostles deuided the world amongst them to preach the ghospell in assure vs that to speake in their wordes The holy Apostles beeing dispersed throughout the whole earth did diuide the prouinces amongst them to preach the ghospell in and it is deliuered plainely by sundry auntient writers that Britanie fell in diuision amongst the Apostles The third and laste generall Rule which these men assigne vnto vs is that mention is not made of any Apostle in any antiquitie to haue preached here but onely of S. Peter S. Paul and S. Symon Zelotes none of all these alleadged protestants or any other I reade doth speake of any other and amonge these one a protestant Bishop and Antiquarie writeth in these termes Godwyn Conuers of Britanie cap. 1. pag. 2. I finde mention of three onely of the Apostles to haue beene in our Britanie to wit Peter and Paul and Simon Chananaeus called also Zelotes For although some haue written that S. Iames preached in Ireland and S. Philip in this next adioyninge Gallia Fraunce which I haue at lardge refuted in other places yett noe one historian to my remembrance and reading doth teach that either of those twoe or any of the rest except those three before sett downe were at any time in this Iland These Rules of Protestants thus supposed and allowed it will with a small labour euidently appeare vnto vs by these men and all antiquities that the moste glorious Apostle Saint Peter was our first father and teacher in Christ For first concerning S. Paul hee himselfe and other scriptures and these protestants alsoe confesse hee was none of the 12. Apostles by whoÌ„ the world was soe diuided and though miraculously called by god before yett not properly an Apostle vntill in the 13. chapter of the Acts of
THE SECOND PART OF THE PROTESTANTS PLEA AND PETITION FOR PREISTS AND Papists Beeing an historie of the holy preisthood and sacrifice of the true Church of Christ Inuincibly prouing them to be the present sacrificing preisthood prouing also the sacrifice of the Masse vsed in the Catholike Roman church and that these were promised and foretold by the Prophets instituted by Christ and exercised by all his Apostles Moreouer that they haue euer from the first plantinge of Christianitie in this our Britanye in the dayes of the Apostles in euery age and hundred of yeares beene continued and preserued here All for the most part warranted by the writinges and testimonies of the best learned Protestant Doctors and antiquaries of England and others The preisthood beeing chaunged there is made of necessitie a chaunge also of the lawe Hebr. cap. 7. ver 12. WITH LICENCE Anno 1625. AN ADMONITION OF THE Author to all Readers of this his historie comprehending the Argument and contents thereof KNowinge well by longe and daiely purchased experience the great and greeuous persecutions which formerly haue beene raysed and persecuted in England against consecrated Preists of the Romane Church and professors of that Religion and for nothing more then holy priesthood and the sacred sunctions thereof And yet often hearinge all sorts of people euen persecutors themselues contestinge and cryinge out they would willingly stand to the Iudgement of and bee arbitrated by diuine Authoritie and reuerend antiquitie I an vnworthie member of that holy order a longe student in diuinitie to which these are either parts or haue a subordination for my discharge of dutie to God and his holy Church comfort and strengtheninge those that bee in truth and satisfying or confounding such as bee in error haue taken in hand to write a briefe history of this subiect beginning at the first originall of Christianitie especially in this Kingdome of great Britaine to which onely after my more generall Introduction and preface ended to preuent 〈…〉 both in writer and Readers I will confine my selfe And to winne the loue and likinge of all and auoide the dislike of any I meane to follow that most frendly and to all protestants fauourable maner and methode in writinge insinuated in the Title of this worke alwaies or moste commonly to carry with mee the allowance and warrant of the best learned Doctors and Antiquaries of their Religion And yet for Catholicks I trust none of them shall finde the least occasion of feare that though I shal walke vpon so vnlâ—…uell ground I will betray their moste iust and holy cause but rather adde a greater luster and splendor of glory then bringe any the least diminution of honor vnto it And make this matter so palpably manifest by all Authorities diuine and humane the scriptures both of the old and new testament and all kinde of expositors of them friends or ennemies that they which shall not acknowledge the vndoubted and onely truth of the doctrine of the holy Catholike Church in these misteries must needes bee said wilfully with malice to close their eyes against it And though the lawe of Moises wherein the Prophets liued and God spake by them was but a figure of thinges to come and gaue but a darke shadowe or glimeringe of the gratious brightnes and shininge which our blessed Sauiour the true light of the world reuealed vnto it in the lawe of the ghospell yet I shall in the very beginning as a preface to this holy historie so inuincibly proue by the scripture 〈◊〉 old testament by all original texts hebrue or greeke all Authors the Rabines before Christ the best learned Doctors of the primatiue Church of Christ and protestants themselues that the Messias promised and foretold by the Prophets was to ordeine a new sacrificing priesthood and that blessed sacrifice of his bodie and blood which wee coÌ„monly name the sacrifice of the Masse and this was one of the most apparant distinctiue signes to know him by so that whosoeuer denieth this consequently denieth Christ to bee the true Messias And the more plainely to demonstrate this when I come to the first plantinge of the faith of Christ in this kingdome in the Apostles time I will make manifest by all testimonies and antiquities that Christ our blessed Sauiour and Messias accordingly to the prophesies of him did institute this sacrificing priesthood and both celebrated and ordeined the sacrifice of Masse for his Church for euer That all his Apostles were sacrificing massing preists and offered that blessed sacrifice And that in this kingdome of Britanie in particular as in the whole Christian world besides in euery age and hundred of yeares from the first preachinge and receiuing of Christian Religion here in the Apostles time in the first second third fourthe fift and six hundred yeares of Christ and so longe as the best learned protestants affirme that holy primatiue Church remained vnspotted in the first receiued truthe and integritie thereof The same holy sacrificing priesthood a continual succession of sacrificinge massinge preists and Bishops and sacrifice of Masse euer continued here in the same maner as they are now vsed and obserued in the present Romane Church without any the least essentiall change or difference By reason whereof many cheife Articles in Religion now questioned as the supernaturall change or transubstantiation of bread and wine into the blessed body and blood of Christ there offered a propitiatorie sacrifice for sinne prayer to the blessed Virgin S. Mary other Saints and Angels prayer for the faithfull departed merit of sacrifice and good workes with insufficiencie of sole faith and other principall things which protestants commonly disallow in Catholicke Religion will bee thus proued and deduced in euerie age in this our Britanie euen with the allowance of our best learned protestants and such antiquities as they approue and cannot disallow One most materiall point of the Popes power and spirituall prerogatiue in this nation from the first embracinge of Christian Religion in all ages which I promised in my first parte I vnderstand to bee effectually performed already Therefore I shall sparinglie make mention thereof in this history except in some things and places where it shall bee needfull for the more perfect handlinge of the present subiect of this worke And hereby it will sufficiently appeare vnto all protestants and persecutors of the holy Catholike Romane Church that seeing the controuersie is whether the Catholike or protestant church is the true church of Christ that by no possibilitie the protestant congregation can bee this true and holie church For by their owne Articles of their Religion to which all protestant Bishops and ministers haue sworne and subscribed Articl of Engl. protest Relig articul 19. The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men in which the pure worde of God is preached and the Sacraments bee duly ministred according to Christs ordinance in all those things that are requisite to the same Which bee the
verie wordes of their owne subscribed and sworne Article of Religion Therefore when they require three things to the true Church true and lawfullie consecrated preists and preachers the pure word of God preached and Sacraments duely ministred and all these shall be found in the Roman Church in all ages from the first preaching of Christ and not any one of them in the protestant parlamentary Church of England or any such other but a manifest opposition and persecution of those sacred preachers of the word and ministers of the Sacraments as of the word and Sacraments themselues so preached and ministred none of these can possibly bee the true Church of Christ but a company of professed aduersaries and enemies vnto it and that the onely true Church which they haue so vnchristianly persecuted the Catholike Romā church is that true and most holy church of Christ THE PREFACE PROVING THE CONTENTS OVT OF THE Prophets Wherin sacrificing and Massinge Preisthood Preists and the sacrifice of Masse are proued by learned Protestants and other testimonies from the history of Melchisedech Gen. 14. THE I. CHAPTER SO vndoubted a veritie and necessary a thinge it was for our blessed Sauiour cominge into the worlde to perfect the Lawe of Moyses and euacuate the externall vnperfect preisthood sacrifices and ceremonials thereof and to institute and ordeine a sacrifice and preisthood more perfect and independant to continue for euer as his lawe and Religion is to doe and to geue a most sure and timely warning and notice of this to the world that when God had made the first promise of the Messias vnto Abraham in the 12. and 13. chapter of Genesis in the very next the 14. chapter following hee reuealed by the preisthood and sacrifice of Melchisedech longe before either the lawe preisthood or the sacrifices thereof were deliuered to Moises what the euerduringe preisthood and sacrifice of the Messias and his lawe should bee For so both the Prophet Dauid S. Paule to the Hebrues S. Peter in the canon of the holy Masse being Author therof as shall bee proued hereafter the auncient Rabines before Christ as protestants them selues acknowledge so likewise by their warrant the most auncient and holy Fathers of the Church of Christ doe proue their preisthood and sacrifice of Christ and his sacrificinge preists in the lawe of the Ghospell from the wordes of Moises these be our english protestants trāslation 2. Melchisedech Kinge of Salem brought forth bread and wine and hee was the preist of the most high God The greeke readinge is For hee was the preist of the most high God signifying thereby that hee did the preistly sacrificall office with that breade and wine and although in the hebrue the verbe Hotzi which our protestants translate brought forth ordinarily where it is not otherwise limited and restricted hath that signification yet beeing confined as here it is to the office of a sacrificing preist such as Melchisedech was it must bee appropriated to his office of sacrificinge otherwise the reasō which the scripture maketh because hee was a preist is superfluous And the rather in this case because in the hebrue text this bringinge forth of breade and wine by this extraordinary preist hath relation vnto God and so must needes bee a sacrificall action for the bringinge forth of bread and wine or matter of any sacrifice to God by a preist that is a sacrificer must needes bee a sacrifice The hebrue is thus Melchisedech Kinge of Salem brought forth breade and wine hee beeing a preist to God the most highe The name God here in Hebrue Leeb beeing the datiue case and answeringe the production of the breade and wine and not the word preist for otherwise it would not bee true constructiō in that language the particle le there seruinge to the datiue and not genitiue case And therfore as Franciscus Stancarus that great protestant professor of hebrue and others tell vs Rabbi Samuel vppon this place of Genesis doth thus expound it actus Sacerdotij tradidit erat enim ipse sacrificans panem vinum Deo sancto benedicto Hee deliuered the acts of preisthood for hee was sacrificing bread and wine to God holie and blessed Where hee plainely expoundeth it as I did before referring the bringing forth of the bread and wine by Melchisedech the preist to God holy and blessed Which is more plaine by the words immediatlie following in the hebrue veicbarechehu and hee blessed him That is to say hee blessed or praysed God of whome the immediate laste speach was Rabb Samul in cap. 14. Geness Francisc Stancar in l. 10. de art fid Petr. Galat. ibid. c. 6. alij 3. So that a preist that vsed to sacrifice beeing proued by the original text of scripture to haue offered or brought forth bread and wine to God the most high and blessed and praised him must needes bee said as the Rabbine expoundeth it to haue sacrificed bread and wine vnto him So doe the holy fathers panem vinum obtulit Melchisedech offered bread and wine saith S. Cyprian the old Roman Masse and S. Ambrose Quod tibi obtulit summus Sacerdos Melchisedech The high preist Melchisedech offered sacrifice to God S. Hierome saith In Typo Christi panem vinum obtulit mysterium Christianum in Saluatoris corpore sanguine dedicauit In figure of Christ hee offered bread and wine and dedicated the Christian mystery in the body and blood of our Sauiour So S. Augustine S. Leo Arnobius Eucherius Primasius Eusebius Caesariensis Theodoretus and others of the primatiue church both greeke and latine Cyprian epist 63. Miss Rom in can Ambros l. 4. de Sacram. c. 6. l. 5. c. 1. ad cap. 5. ad Hebr. Hierom. epistol 17. ad Marcell c. 2. in quaest in Gen. in psal 75 109. ad cap 26. Math. August in psal 33. de cia◅tat Dei l. 6. c. 22. epist 95. Arnob. Rom. in psal 109 Leo serm 2. anni vers Assumpt Eucherius Lugd. homil 5. de Pasch Primas in c. 5. ad Hebr. Theodoret. quaest 63. in Genes ad psalm 109. Protest Articl of Relig. articul 7. scriptures 4. And except wee will say there was a tradition of so great a mistery and necessarie to saluation which the Religion of our english protestāts denieth or that the Prophet Dauid had some new particular reuelation of this thing which though it should bee gratis spoken by protestants doth inuinciblie confirme what hath bene said of this matter wee must needes graunt that this holy prophet did expound and vnderstand that action of Melchisedech as so many authorities remembred did for hee maketh it a thinge so certaine that hee bringeth in God him selfe testifyinge by oath that it was so Thus by protestantes translation hee speaketh of Christs preisthood and consequently sacrifice from this place The Lord hath sworne and will not repent thou art a preist for euer after the order of Melchisedech psal 109. or 110. vers 4. For wee doe
with them sett downe in the 6. article of their Religion confirmed by parlaments and subscribed and sworne vnto by all protestant Bishops and ministers of England The wordes of this their sworne and subscribed vnto Religion in this point are these Articles of Engl. protest Religion ratified by the parlaments and canons of Q. Eliz. and King Iames articul 6. 10. Holy scripture conteyneth all thinges necessary for saluation so that whatsoeuer is not read therin nor may bee proued thereby is not to bee required of any mā that it should bee beleeued as an article of the faith Therfore things so reade in scripture and therby proued must needes bee articles of faith otherwise Religion should bee without articles of faith which is vnpossible for by this protestant Religion there is no other meanes to make or proue them such Being thus directed by these protestants and by their direction I make this Argument and proofe from scriptures as they translate thē Euery high preist is ordeined to offer sacrifice for sinnes Hebr. 5.1.8.3 But Melchisedech was an high preist Therefore ordeyned to offer sacrifice for sinnes The first or maior proposition is the very wordes of S. Paule as our protestants translate him The minor or second proposition is theire translation of the Prophet Moises Melchisedech was the preist of the most high God Gen. 14.18 Where hee is called the preist by excellency and blessing Abraham and called by S Paule better or greater then Abraham Hebr. 7.6.7.9 Who also was a great preist and patriarke and as a superiour receauing tithes of him and so eminent and cheife that the order of which hee was is not onely called the order of Melchisedech but Christ himselfe often termed high preist after the order of Melchisedech and as our protestants also translate after the similitude of Melchisedech as both the Greeke and Latine texts also are Therefore Melchisedech of necessitie was an high preist Therefore againe the conclusion which in a true Argument and Sillogisme as this is cannot bee denied that Melchisedech offered sacrifice beeing therto ordeyned is most certaine and an article of faith by these protestants Religion before 11. And because by the rule of their Religion wee may not seeke but in scripture to knowe what sacrifice it was which hee offered it must needes bee that sacrifice of bread and wine which the scripture Rabbins Fathers and forreine protestants haue told vs of before for wee do not find any other sacrifice or matter like a sacrifice in scripture attributed to Melchisedech If any man shall say that S. Paule speaking of all high preists offering sacrifice meaneth sacrifice vnproperly as prayers and such deuotions I answere this is not onely vnproperly but by true consequence blasphemously spoken vtterly denyinge that either the preists of the Lawe of Nature or Moises or Christ did offer any sacrifice and so no sacrifice for sinne beeinge offered by Christ mans redemption was not wrought by Christ but man is vnredeemed and Christ was not the Sauiour of the world for in that place as S. Paul speaketh of euery high preist and preistly orders he also speaketh of the externall sacrifices of of them in their order and time And so doth the protestant publicke glosse vppon those wordes of S. Paule Euery high preist is ordeyned to offer sacrifice expound them in these termes Hee bringeth a reason why it must needes bee that Christ should haue a body that hee might haue what to offer for otherwise hee could not bee an highe preist Protest Annotat. in cap. 8. Hebr. v. 3 Therfore by these protestants S. Paul speaketh of an externall and properly named sacrifice and that therefore Melchisedech as well as other high preists did offer an external sacrifice otherwise by their owne reason the same which S. Paul alleageth hee could not bee an high preist as the holy scripture proueth hee was not offering any externall sacrifice which both by S. Paule so many testimonies before and the publicke and authoritatiue exposition of English Protestants is essentially and vnseparably belonging to al true preists preisthood 12. The Protestant Bishop D. Morton Appeale l. 3. c. 13. pag. 394. plainely graunteth that Melchisedech offered an externall sacrifice wherein there was really bread and wine Hee further proueth from the Rabbins and Bibliander supr cent 1. That at the cominge of the Messias all legall sacrifices should ceise and a sacrifice in bread and wine should onely stil continue And constantly auoucheth for the common doctrine of English Protestants in these wordes The protestants acknowledge in the Eucharist a sacrifice Euc◅aristicall Mort. sup l. 3. c. 13 The present protestant Archbishop of Canterbury director of Master Mason and hee directed by him directly graunt that the words of Christ concerning his body and blood to bee giuen argue a sacrifice to God Franc. Mason lib. 5. pag. 233. And cite and graunt further in this maner pag. 243. Christ hauinge offered himselfe for a soueraigne sacrifice vnto his Father ordeyned that wee should offer a remembrance thereof vnto God instead of a sacrifice An other saith Middle papistom pag. 92.113 The sacrifice of the Altare and vnbloodye sacrifice were vsed in the primatiue church and the auncient Fathers called the sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ a sacrifice And againe pag. 49.137.138.47.45 The primatiue church did offer sacrifice at the Altar for the dead Sacrifice for the dead was a tradition of the Apostles and the auncient Fathers And Isaac Casaubon the knowne french stipendary champion for the Protestants of England writeth thus of our Kinge in this matter Respons ad Card. Peron pag. 51. The Kinge is neither ignorant of nor denieth that the Fathers of the primatiue church did acknowledge one sacrifice in Christian Religion that succeeded in place of all the sacrifices in the lawe of Moses And least any man should doubt what sacrifice hee ment by so speaking hee telleth vs it is The body of Christ in the Eucharist as Catholicks hold and addeth there Haec est fides Regis haec est fides Ecclesiae Anglicanae This is the faiih of the Kinge this is the faith of the English church And writeth to Cardinall Perron in these wordes The Kinge said in the hearing of manic and wished him so to signifie to Cardinal Perron that hee agreed with the Cardinal in his opiniō de duplici sacrificio expiationis nempe commemorationis siue Religionis Concerning two kinds of sacrifice the one of expiation for the world the other commemoratiue or of Religion Which last Cardinall Perron with all Catholicks take to bee the sacrifice of Masse Therefore if the English Protestant church and his maiestie agree so far with Catholicks the attonement wil sooner bee made in this matter 13. Neither did Casaubon here assume for his maiestie and English Protestants any new thinge but the same which they had professed and graunted in their most solemne and publicke decrees and proceedings from the first beginning of
their parlamentary Religion in the time of Queene Elizabeth or sooner For wee are taught by these protestants that in the first parlamēt of that Queene when Catholick Religion was suppressed yet both shee her nobles new Bishops and the rest continued in this opinion that there was an externall sacrifice in the church and the Masse was this externall sacrifice for appointing a kinde of disputation in questions they most disliked in Catholike Religion or wherin they thought themselues to haue most aduantage they set downe but three conclusions The first of a straunge tongue in common prayer the second concerninge ceremonies And the third and laste is thus It cannot bee proued by the worde of God that there is in the Masse offered vp a sacrifice propitiatory for the quicke and the dead ◅h Stow and Howes histor an 1. Elizab. Theater of Brit. an 1. Eliz. Where they do not deny an externall sacrifice in the churche of Christ ◅hether that the Maste is this externall sacrifice but so farre agree with Catholicks but they only deny that by scripture which they onely vnderstand by the worde of God the sacrifice of Masse can bee proued a sacrifice propitiatory for the quick and dead Neuer denying it to bee a commemoratiue and Eucharistical sacrifice or of Religion as his maiesty before calleth it by the mouth of Casaubon Neither doe they absolutly deny it to bee a propitiatory sacrifice for the quicke and dead but that it cannot bee so proued by scripture neuer denying but by traditiō it may so bee proued as some protestants haue confessed before and shal manifestly be proued hereafter by all testimonies 14. And to make euident demonstration by these protestants of England that they all doe or should both allowe an external sacrifice and sacrificing preists and preisthood which they haue so longe and greeuously persecuted there was yet neuer any protestant Prince Kinge or Queene in England but by publick authoritie and lawe of Parlament allowed and receaued the holy sacrifice of Masse consequentlie sacrificinge and massinge preists and preisthood beeing as al learning teacheth indiuisible and vnseparable correlatiues maturally and mutually dependinge one of the other It is euident that Kinge Henry 8. Stat. Hen. 8. testament vlt. Both by Parlament and his laste wil allowed Masse both for the quick and dead King Edward the sixt Theat of great Brit. in Henr. 8. Statut. an 1. Edward 6. cap. 1. Enacted a a particular statute thereof confirming the doctrine of reall presence and it was in force al his life was repealed by Queene Mary in respect it did allow to communicants to receaue in both kindes Stat. an 1. Mar. parlam 1. sess 2. cap. 2. Queene Elizabeth in her first parlament reuiued this statute againe and it continued in force all her life Parlam an 1. Elizab. And his maiestie that now is in his first parlament receaued and confirmed this very statute of the holy sacrifice of Masse the reall presence and is still in force neuer by him repealed Parlament an 1. Iacobi cap. 5. The statute it selfe is so cleare in this point as it cannot bee contradicted And besides this the iniunctions of Kinge Edward the sixt the best interpretors of his lawe doe so assure vs where in the 3.21.22 Iniunction of his time wee finde then by his Regall Authoritie Masse high Masse altare high altare lights vppon the altare before the Sacrament Christs reall presence therein and transubstantiation vsed commonly in England after this statute was enacted Iniunct of Kinge Edw. 6. iniunct 1.21.22 And both for the time of Queene Elizabeth as also his maiestie that now is receauinge that statute 15. The publicke collection of our statutes Collectiō of Engl statutes an D. 1611. Titul seruice and Sacraments cap. 1. Printed cum priuilegio by his maiesties allowance and commonly vsed by our protestant lawyers others hath this note and these words vppon this statute Anno 1. Eduardi sexti cap. 1. This act was repealed by 1. Mar. parl 1. sess 2. cap. 2. and is reuiued by 1. Iacobi cap. 25. But note the time of the first making of this statute which was before that the Masse was taken away when the opinion of the reall presence was not remoued from vs. Whereby it is manifest that both Queene Elizabeth and Kinge Iames reuiuing and giuing full life and validitie to this statute of the doctrine of Masse and reall presence must needes giue the same allowance to those holy doctrines confirmed by that statute and soe ought all English Protestants cōforming themselues in matters of Religion to the lawes and parlaments of Protestant Princes the cheifest rules and squares by them in such proceedings And so neither any Catholicke or Protestant of England except they will bee singular against the lawe of their owne Religion can or may take exception against that is said before or professe himself an aduersary or persecutor of holy consecrated sacrificinge Catholicke preists or sacrifice of holy Masse but rather reuerence embrace them And thus much from the booke of Genesis that the true Messias was to bee a sacrificinge preist according vnto the order of Melchisedech to institute a new sacrificinge preisthood and the externall holy sacrifice of Masse to bee cōtinued in his church for euer The same proued with like allowance and approbation of Protestants out of the booke of Exodus THE II. CHAPTER NOw let vs come to Exodus the next booke of Moyses Where the protestants shall informe vs that both the auncient Rabbines before Christ the Fathers of the primatiue church and the scripture it selfe expounded by the grounds of protestant Religion doe warrant vs not onely that there was an externall sacrifice to bee continued in the time and Religion of Christ but that this sacrifice in particular was the blessed body and blood of Christ vnder the formes of bread and wine as it is offered in the holy Masse by massinge and sacrificinge Catholicke preists wee are told assuredly not onely from Catholicks some of them liuing and writing before these controuersies began and which had beene eye witnesses of theire relation but from protestants also and those Sacramentary Caluinists the greatest enemies to the holy sacrifice of Masse and transsubstantiation that vppon these wordes of Exodus in the 25. chapter where the vulgare latine readeth Et pones super mensam panes propositionis in conspectu m◅o s◅mper and our English Protestants translate and thou shalt set vppon the table shew bread before mee alwaies Petr. Gallatin de Arcan Cathol veritat l. 10. cap. 6 Ioh. Vitus epist Wintonicus l. dure osiomart rion Franciscus Sta◅car in correct Petri Gallatini l. 10. c. 6. Praefat Protestant ad lectorem ante Petr. Gallatin edit Francofurti an 1612. 2. That the auncient Rabbines longe before Christ expounded this place of the holy sacrifice of Christians inferinge also from thence as the text will giue warrant vnto as I shall proue hereafter by protestant Religion that
deceaue vs it so signifieth foure times in that chapter Accordinge to that saying of Christ by English Protestants My flesh is meate in deed and my blood is drinke in deede Ioh. cap. 6. v. 55. And their frēd Frosterus with other Hebritians acknowledgeth that it is taken for flesh euen in sacrifices and citeth Gen. 3. Exod. 18.1 Samuel 14.2 Samuel 9. psal 136. Prouerb 30. and concludeth with Malachias c. 1. v. 6. In which places the word is Lehem the same which in this place of Leuiticus And the cited protestants correctors of Gallatinus bringe Rabbi Dauid Kimhi in Serassim apud protest sup alleaging for this reading of Lehem not onlie this place of Leuiticus but cap. 8. Deuter Numer 28. Ioh. cap. 6. Where they proue this to bee sense of that place and of the Hebrue word signifying there the most holie sacrifice of Catholick Christians 2. They further proue it by the auncient Rabbins R. Simeon others Francisc Stanc sup l. 10. c. 7. in Gallatin That when this sacrifice should bee offered all others were to cease and this to be celebrated in bread and wine and by the great power of words from the mouth of the preist this sacrifice on euery altare shall bee chaunged into the body of the Messias Virtute ingenti verborum Sanctorum quae ab ore Sacerdotum manabit illud omne sacrificium quoad in vnaquaque ara celebrabitur in corpus Messiae conuertetur And this is no more then our English Protestants doe by publicke allowance publish and print both of the doctrine of the primatiue church of Christ and themselues also in this some of them assure vs the holy Fathers taught that breade is made the body of Christ. It is chaunged not in shape but nature Christes body is made of breade and his blood of wine The preist by secret power doth chaunge the visible creatures into the substance of Christs body and blood The bread doth passe into the nature of our Lords body The primatiue church thought the sanctified and consecrated elements to bee the body of Christ. Mason pag. 243. Parkins pag. 153.154 Morton appeale l. 2. c. 6. Sutcliff Subuers pag. 32. Feild pag. 150. 3. And to shew that diuers of the best learned of them for themselues are wholly of this opinion besides diuers cited in other places one of their most iudicious writers writeth with publick priuilege Couel def of Hooker pag. 116.117.276 The omnipotency of God maketh it his bodie And againe To these persons preists God imparteth power ouer his mistical bodie which is the societie of soules and ouer that naturall which is himselfe a worke which antiquitie calleth the making of Christs bodie And confesseth it for a reasonable satisfaction to say it is done by transubstantiation And in an other worke speakinge of this preistlye power hee addeth Couel examin pag. 105 By blessing visible elements it maketh them inuisible grace it hath to dispose of that flesh which was giuen for the life of the world and that blood which was powred out to redeeme soules And yet if wee neither had the auncient Rabbins nor Fathers thus allowed vnto vs by protestants neither the consent of forreine and domesticall protestants in this matter but stand onely vpon the text of holy scripture it selfe in that one chapter of Leuiticus and let it bee graunted that the word Lehem may signifie in that place Breade as probably as flesh or more probably if any man would so desire yet seing wee finde it so often as foure times in one chapter Leuit. cap. 21. per totum The bread of God with an excellency aboue other bread and offered in sacrifice to God by preists that are appointed and commaunded to bee so extraordinarily holy by annointing with oile blessings and sanctifications and to bee so chaste continent and holy as is there commanded knowing it was there but a figuratiue sacrifice a figure of a more excellent to come and preisthood also when we see no such thing either for preistly dignitie or holy sacrifice in the Sacramentary Religion but all reallie and truely verified in the Catholicke Romane Church wee must needes interpret it of the holy preisthood and sacrifice thereof 4. Wee reade in the same booke of Leuiticus often mention of the sacrifice Thodah in one the seuenth chapter v. 11.12.13.14 Leuitic cap. 22. v. 28. there is diuers times sett downe this Sebac Thodah sacrifice Thodah And it is described to bee Caloth Matzoth Our protestants translate it Sacrifice of thāks giuing vnleuened cakes and Caloth Beluloth vnleuened wafers by our protestants translation Who there can it also v. 13.15 Sacrifice of thanksgiuing of peace offerings And againe Sacrifice of peace offerings for thanksgiuing Such was the dignitie of this sacrifice at least in that which it prefigured for of it self but meane as we see that as many learned protestants Theodor Bibliāder Franciscus Stancarus the English Protestant Bishop D. Morton and others assure vs erat apud veteres Hebraeos dogma receptissimum It was a moste commonly receaued opinion amonge the olde Hebrues that at the cominge of the blessed Messias all other legall sacrifices should cease and onely the sacrifice Thodah of thanksgiuing praise confession should bee celebrated and that to bee celebrated with bread wine Theod. Bibliād 2. de Trinit pag. 89. Francis Stancar in emēd lib. Petr. Gallatin l. 10. Morton appeale Hieronym à Sancta fide l. 1. contr Iud. cap. 9. Talmuld apud eund 16. Froster Lexic v. Thoda 5. And to make all sure from exception the Prophet Dauid testifieth as much psal 50. v. 7.8.9.10.11.12.13 For making relatiō in the 49. by the Hebrues 50. psalme how God would reiect the sacrifice of the Iewes and haue a new more pleasinge sacrifice offered vnto him when hee had reiected the former hee addeth for the new that was to continue Sebac Leholim Thodah Sacrifice to God Thodah Where both by the sacrificing Verb Sebac and Thodah to bee offered in sacrifice vnto him he addeth of them that shall offer it and thou shalt glorifie mee as our protestants translate it And wheras in Leuiticus is onely mention made of cakes or wafers in this sacrifice the same Prophet Dauid in the 116. psalme as the Rabbines before maketh also mention of the cup or challice in this sacrifice For saying there psal 116. v. 17. I will sacrifice the sacrifice Thodah Sebac Thodah hee saith also as our Protestants translate v. 12.13 What shall I render vnto the Lord for all his benefites towardes mee I will take the cup of saluation and call vppon the name of the Lord. Where the Hebrue readeth I will lift vp or offer Ese the cup of saluation for that which in the Greeke Latine and Protestant English is I will take the cup or chalice calicem salutaris accipiam of saluation So that if wee will iustifie both readings it is euident that an holy chalice was both to bee offered and receiued in
this and to take which text we will as one wee must because thinges offered in sacrifices were receiued and thinges also in them receiued were before offered it is manifest by the Prophet that the holy consecrated challice was to bee offered and receiued in this sacrifice Thodah as it is with Catholicks at this time 6. And this was so knowne a veritie amonge the Iewes that as Hieronymus à sancta fide proueth against the Iewes l. 1. contr Iudaeos cap. 9. hee himselfe a Iew it is often reiterated in theire Thalmud it selfe est quaedam locutio saepe in Thalmud reiterata quae dicit sic in tempore futuro vniuersa sacrificia excepto sacrificio confessionis annihilata erunt And wee doe not finde in any Religion Christians or others any cup or chalice which truely or putatiuely is termed the cup or chalice of saluation but that which is consecrated and offered in holy Masse of which Christ said as our protestants translate it Luc. cap. 22. v. 20. 1. Corinth cap. 11. v. 24. This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you Marc. 14.24 This is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many Matth. 26.28 This is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes So that except wee will bee Antichristians and deny the truth of the words of Christ that which hee then gaue and offered and is lawfully consecrated preists doe stil offer in holy Masse was and is this cup or chalice of saluation fortold by the Prophet Dauid in this place 7. And howesoeuer wee will interpret this word Thoda with protestant Hebritians to signifie gloria gloriatio laus laudatio celebratio confessio glory glorification praise commendation celebration confession Froster in Lexic in v. Thoda pag. 355. it cannot possibly bee better expressed and verified in any thinge then the holy sacrifice of the blessed body blood of Christ which therfore the old canon of the Masse calleth sacrificium laudis sacrifice of praise For as S. Augustine saith l. 1. contr aduersar leg Prophetar cap. 18. Quid est sacratius laudis sacrificium quà m in actione gratiarum Et vnde maiores agendae sunt Deo gratiae quam pro ipsius gratia per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum quod totum fideles in Ecclesiae sacrificio sciunt cuius vmbrae fuerunt omnia priorum generum sacrificia What sacrifice of praise is more holy then in thanksgiuing and wherefore are more or greater thankes to bee giuen to God then for his grace by Iesus Christ our Lord All which the faithfull doe know in the sacrifice of the church of which all sacrifices of the former kindes were shadowes And our protestants of England haue graunted as much before acknowledginge the Eucharist to be a sacrifice of Religion a sacrifice of thanksgiuing a commemoratiue sacrifice and a remembrance and memoriall of Christ offered and sacrificed for the sinnes of the worlde and mans redemption which deserue and binde all Christians to giue the greatest glory praise commendation thankes and confession to God for so an inestimable grace and benefite they possibly are able 7. Therefore most truely and properly this holy sacrifice of Masse which Catholicks vse was by the holy Scriptures Rabines Fathers Catholicks and protestants before termed Thoda For besides all those Etimologies and significations thereof before alleaged from protestant Hebritiās they further add Ioh. Froster Lexic Hebraic in Thoda pag. 355. Vocat scriptura hoc nomine speciem sacrificij quo offerentes confitebantur accepisse se beneficium à Deo celebrantque praedicabant gloriam clementiae benignitatis de graeci transtulerunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrificium laudis Germani Liboffer Leuit. cap 7. vers 11. Acconstabat vt eius descriptione Leuitici 7. habetur ex placenta Azimae offerebanturque ab illis qui cum à periculo aliquo liberati gratos se Deo declarare volebāt The scripture calleth by this name Thoda the kinde of sacrifice by which they that offered it did confesse that they had receiued benefits from God and they celebrated declared the glory of the mercy and bountifulnes of God the Greeks translated it sacrifice of praise the Germans Libopffer and it consisted as appeareth by the description of it in the 7. chapter of Leuiticus of an vnleuened Cake and it was offered of them that beeing deliuered from any daunger would shew themselues thankfull to God All which properties in a most excellent manner are found and proued to belonge to the holy sacrifice of Masse for more then any other rite or ceremonie vsed by any Christians THE IIII. CHAPTER Prouing the same by the same warrant from the Prophet Dauid NOw let vs come to the Prophet Dauid who in the 21.22 psalme by the Hebrues speaking of the conuersion of the gentiles and all nations to Christ and setting downe many particulars of his holy life and passion amonge the rest when by protestants translation hee had said all the ends of the world shall remember and turne to the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee For the kingdome is the Lords and hee is the gouernor among the natiōs which we see performed by Christ hee immediatlie addeth all they that bee fat vppon the earth the potent and mightie shall eate and worship The Hebrue which our protestants should follow there is Istachahu haue bowed downe themselues in worship So is the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the vulgare Latine manducauerunt adorauerunt so Sebastian Castalio the protestant comedent adorabunt so readeth S. Augustine Augustin in psal 21. Manducauerunt adorabunt omnes diuites terrae Euen all the rich vppon earth haue eaten and shall worship And examining what holy food this should bee which euen the ritchest and most potent should worship when they did eate it not findinge any other food worthie such worship hee concludeth manducauerunt corpus humilitatis Domini sui etiam diuites terrae Euen the ritch of the earth haue eaten the body of the humilitie of their Lord. Whereuppon a very learned writer linguist before these times of controuersies Iacob Perez de Valentia quaest 5. contra Iudaeos Writing against the Iewes saith although this Sacrament was figured by many signes and figures in the Lawe yet Dauid in manifest wordes hath expressed it in the 21. psalme And citing the wordes before alleaged thus hee writeth vbi manifestè ostenditur quòd fideles debebant māducare adorare Deum suum Where it is manifestly shewed that the faithful ought to eate and adore their God 2. And whereas the same holy Prophet in his 98. psalme saith adorate scabellum pedum eius quoniam sanctum est Adore the footestoole of his feete because it is holy The same S Augustine hauing related those wordes of God in the Prophet Isay as our protestants trāslate them Isay cap. 66. v. 1. The
Hebrue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a pure sacrifice in Greek in omni loco sacrificatur offertur nomini meo oblatio munda In euery place a cleane oblation is sacrificed and offered to my name in Latine Fertum purum a pure sacrifice as the protestant Sebastian Castalio readeth a pure offeringe as our English Protestants translate And it is ridiculous for any man to expound it of prayer without sacrifice externall for the Prophet there plainly opposeth this the externall sacrifice of Christians which was to be receaued to the others of the Iewes which were then to cease the cheife protestāts haue so expounded and translated it before and here hee speaketh of both prayer expressed in the word thymiama in Greeke Muctar in Hebrue as the English Protestantes together with S. Augustine S. Hierome Eusebius and others expound it and externall sacrifice in the other as is before recited protest of Engl. and Fr. Mason of consecrat of Bish. pag. 219.220 Augustin Hierom. Euseb apud Mason supr 4. Which being ioyned with the known sacrificing verbe or verball Maggash cannot possibly haue any other interpretation but as plainely and literally expresseth the publicke sacrifice of the Masse vsed by Christians as any missale or Catholicke writer doth or can doe in generall termes not descendinge to the particular expressing of the blessed body and blood of the Messias there offered which belonged onlie to the time of the lawe of Christ and not those figuratiue dayes yet by many attributes and properties so describeth it that it cannot bee applied to anie other For it termeth this sacrifice a pure offering the pure sacrifice the sacrifice wherein onely God woulde bee pleased the sacrifice that should succeede the sacrifices of the lawe and euacuate them a sacrifice to bee offered in all places as Christ was to bee honored in all and to continue for euer Neuer to be abrogated by any other all which are before remembred by the Prophet and cannot by any possibilitie be truely spoken of any other sacrifice then this of the most blessed body and blood of Christ offered by his holy preistes in that sacrifice which from the Hebrues we cal Masse in our language 5. Neither can any thinge be so briefly spoken by God to confute the friuolous vaine obiections of some protestants allmost now quite exploded out of the world by Catholicke arguments about dimensions and pluralities of places locations of this most blessed Sacrament and sacrifice for God here by the mouth of his holie Prophet assuringe vs that this sacrifice shall bee but one and no more as it is before expressed in all holie languages Hebrue Greke and Latine yet so miraculous and extraordinary it shall bee that Be cal Machom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in omni loco in euerie place by protestant translation out of Hebrue Greeke and Latine iustifyinge it this onely pure sacrifice shall bee offered to God That if these men will either beleeue naturall or supernatural reason and authoritie God or man they may see the vanitie of theire contradiction For whereas they would persuade their adherēts and others that one and the same sacrifice cannot bee offered in many places God himselfe testifieth the quite contrary that this shall bee offered in all places and yet bee but one pure sacrifice as is before declared by all translations and the originall text it selfe from the worde of God by his holie Prophet 6. And it is as euident from this onely clause in euery place that this could be no other sacrifice then the sacrifice of Masse vsed in the Catholicke church of Christ now dilated into all nations and in euery place for there bee now in the world but foure great professions of Religion Christians Iewes Mahumetans and Pagans No Christian will or may say that prophesie of the true worshippers of God pure sacrifice to bee offered vnto him is or can bee vnderstood of any of them for first the pagans sacrifices were not offered to God but to Idols they were not pure and holy but most wicked and abhominable they had not any one sacrifice that was generally offered in all places Euseb Tertul. cont Iud. Iustin cont gent. Aristid Plutarch in vit c. The Mahumetans haue no externall sacrifice at all to offer in any place Mahum in Alcor histor Turric and theire whole Religion by all Christians is damnable and their sect could neuer yet be called vniuersall in all places And to speake with protestants as before in those contries which the Turke possesseth The Christians make aboue two third parts of his Emipre Edw. Grymst pag. 1064. Auth. of the booke of the estates in the great Turke in Asia Therfore there is nothing in that Religion that can bee called this pure sacrifice offered to God in euery place 7. The sacrifices of the Iewes were manie and not one by one and all of them reiected by God in this place of the Prophet as our protestants thus translate Malach cap. 1.10 I haue no pleasure in you saith the Lord of hostes neither will I accept an offering at your hand And then immediatly the conuersion of the Gentiles and their pure sacrifice to bee offered to God vers 11. in euery place is set downe So that not any one sacrifice of the Iewes could after this time be acceptable to God none could bee this pure sacrifice in any place much lesse in euery place when the Iewes Religion was neuer so extended And as the holy scriptures and Hieronymus à Sancta fide a Iewe. l. 1. contr Iudaeos cap. 9. proueth the Iewes might neuer offer sacrifice out of Hierusalem and so this could not possibly be ment of them ostendit nobis in hoc quod dicit In omni loco quod haec oblatio munda fienda erat per vniuersum mundum vbicumque per modum esset assignatum per contrarium sacrificiorum antiquorum de quibus erat prohibitum ne alibi quà m in Temple Ierosolymitano fierent The Prophet sheweth vnto vs by that hee saith in euery place that this pure oblation was to be made in all the world wheresoeuer it was assigned in the world by the contrary of the old sacrifices of which it was forbidden that they should not be offered in any other place then in the Temple of Hierusalem And proueth there out of the Iewes Thalmud often repeating that their sacrifices were to cease quaedam locutio saepe in Talmud reiterata quae dicit sic in tempore futuro vniuersa sacrificia excepto sacrificio confessionis annihilata erunt All sacrifices should be annihilated but the sacrifice of confession called Thoda in breade and wine meaninge the sacrifice of Christians as I haue proued in due place 8. And Rabbi Samuel Marrochian l. de aduent Messiae cap. 20. writing to Rabbi Isaac Master of the Sinagogue vppon this prophesie of Malachie saith Timeo Domine mi quod Deus eiecit nos à se sacrificium nostrum acceptauit
so reuerent opinion of this most holy sacrifice that hee thought himselfe vnworthie to offer it and therfore as S. Hierome writeth cut off his Thombe but it was miraculously restored and hee vsually offered that holy sacrifice as wee haue testimonies euen of this our owne nation farr beyond exception to omit others S. Bede S. Marianus and Florentius Wigorniensis al which affirme in these same words Marcus discipulus interpres Apostoli Petri mittente Petro porrexit in Aegiptum primus Alexandriae Christum annuntians constituit Ecclesiam postquam constitutis confirmatis Ecclesijs per Lybiam Marmoricam Ammonicam Pentapolim Alexandriam atque Aegiptum vniuersam ad vltimum tentus est à Paganis qui remanserant Alexandriae qui videntes eum die sancto Paschae Missas facientem miserunt funem in collo eius Marke the disciple and Interpreter of Peter beeing sent by Peter went into Egipt and was the first that preached Christ at Alexandria and founded that church and after founding and confirming the churches through Lybia Marmorica Ammonica Pentapolis Alexandria and all Egipt at the last was apprehended by the Pagans which remayned at Alexandria who seeinge him saying Masse on the holy feast of Easter cast a rope about his necke and so put him to death Beda in Martyrolog 7. cal Maij. Marian. Scot. l. 2. aetat 6. pag. 233. in Nerone Florent Wigorn. 19. Thus these three auncient learned English writers with others And this forme of Masse which he vsed deliuered to these churches seemeth by Antonius Sabellicus to haue beene written by him at Aquileia in Italy whether he was first sent by S. Peter before hee went to Alexandria for hee tellinge with the common opinion how hee wrote his ghospell at Rome by the warrant and approbation of S. Peter and his coming to Aquileia saith he wrote there also somethinges hic quoque aliqua scripsisse creditur and most likely his Masse because wee finde no mention of any other his works but his ghospel writtē at Rome and that 20. And to make all sure by our English Protestant antiquaries and other writers who ascribe the greatest credit in these matters to the brittish Authors their Religion and practise before the vniting themselues with the successors of S. Augustine and the Romane church there is yet extant a very old manuscript written by a Brittish Christian before that vnion allmost a thousand yeares since which our protestants intitle prima institutio ecclesiastici seruitij the first institution of the ecclesiasticall seruice M. S. Britan. antiq pr. Stores in exordio prima institutio ecclesiastici seruitij in which manifestly mētion is made that S. Marke the Euangelist did write a forme therof and that very forme of Masse vsed and penned by S. Marke was practised here in Britanie when it was first conuerted in or nere the Apostles time of this I shall speake more at large when I come to S. Peter And this will suffice for S. Marke 21. S. Luke the next of this holy company is moste plaine of them all for holye sacrifice for first hee doth plainelie distinguish the consecrated cup from the other which he calleth by protestants translation the fruite of the vine Luc. cap. 22. ver 18. an exception with vnlearned protestants And then by their owne translation he thus writeth of Christs action herin ver 19. And hee tooke breade and gaue thankes and brake it and gaue vnto them saying this is my body which is giuen for you doe this in remembrance of mee ver 20. likevvise also the cup after supper saying this is the nevv testament in my blood vvhich is shed for you Where as I haue proued before both by protestants and all witnesses our holy sacrifice of Masse is plainely instituted which our protestants proue by one of the most auncient antiquities of our Christian Britans a sermon as Master Foxe saith Act. and monum pag. 1142. sermon translat by Aelfricus so auncient and of so great authoritie in this kingdome that it was vsually reade in the church here in the yeare of Christ 366. aboue two hundred yeares before S. Augustines cominge hither and translated into the Saxon language out of Latine by Kinge Aelfricus in the yeare 996. Which speaketh of Christ in these words Hee blessed breade before his suffering and diuided it to his disciples thus saying eate of this it is my body and doe this in my remembrance Also hee blessed wine in one cup and said drinke yee all of this this is my blood that is shed for manie in forgiuenes of sinnes The Apostles did as Christ commaunded that is they they blessed bread and wine to howsell againe afterward in his remembrance euen so also their successors and all preistes by Christs commaundement doe blesse bread and wine to howsell in his name with the Apostolicke blessinge 22. And againe In the old lawe faithfull men offered to God diuers sacrifices that had foresignification of Christs body which for our sinnes he himselfe to his heauenly Father hath since offered to sacrifice certainly this howsell which wee doe now hallow at Gods altar is a remembrance of Christs body which hee offered for vs and of his blood which hee shed for vs So hee himselfe commaunded doe this in my remembraunce And shewinge how Christ is wholly and truely present in euerie parcell of this blessed sacrifice of Masse it addeth That innocent Lambe which the old Israelites did then kill had signification after ghostlye vnderstandinge of Christs sufferinge who vnguiltie shed his holy blood for our redemption Herof singe Gods seruants at euery Masse Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi miserere nobis That is in our speach Thou Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs. 25. Where is plainely proued by these protestants antiquitie that Christ did in those wordes of S. Luke both institute the moste holy sacrifice of Masse for that Euangelist and all preists to offer and that the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world onely Christ Iesus is present there and was publickly prayed vnto as present in our first Britane primatiue church in this kingdome Therefore no Christiā of Britanie can make it a question but S. Luke an holy Euangelist did in this holy mistery as Christ had instituted by his owne ghospell and the other Euangelists and Apostles did preach and practise Which is farther confirmed out of the history of his life wherin we finde that hee erected altars and consecrated sacrificing and massing preists no others known to Christians in that time This will more appeare when I come to S. Paul whos 's both companion and scribe and secretary in some sort hee was and so could not bee of an other opinion or practise in this point then that great Apostle Metaphrast in vit S. Luc. Gul. Eisengren cent 1. part 5. dist 7. Hieron l. de vir illustris in S. Luca. 24. The holy Apostle and
tu dixisti hoc facite in meam commemorationem 33. And how carefull and diligent an obseruer and practiser of this massing doctrine hee was in act and deed daily in his whole life we may be assured by the worthie writers of his life and death Hilduinus Abbot of S. Denis in Fraunce where hee was buried about 800. yeares since Roswita or Roswida not longe after and others who confidently and from publick testimony write that neither his strict imprisonment in a dungeon could hinder him from performing this holy dutie but there both persuadinge the people present and writinge vnto others absent to confirme them more said Masse in that vnfit place to proue how acceptable it was Christ Iesus with a multitude of Angels appeared vnto them all with such a light from heauen as had beene seene at the very time when they were to communicate comforted his holy Martir Sed nec carcereis praesul praeclarus in antris desinit obsequium Domino persoluere dignum sed docuit plebem studiosè conuenientem ac celebrat sacrae solitò solemnia Missae Est vbi caelestem debebat frangere panem lux noua tristifico subito fulgebat in antro in qua sidereae regnator splendidus aulae scilicet angelica pariter comitante caterua apparens charum consolabatur amicum Trithem l. de scriptorib in Hildonio Roswida Hilduinus Abb. in vita S. Dionisij Areopag cap. 29. Roswita l. de vit S. Dionis Areopag alijs THE X. CHAPTER How all the rest of the Apostles in particular S. Andrew Iames the great Thomas Iames the lesse Philip Bartholomew Symon Thaddaeus and Matthias were sacrificinge Preists and Apostles and vsually offered the sacrifice of Masse NOw let vs come to the rest of the holie Apostles which haue not in scriptures written of these misteries and proue of them all and in order except S. Peter the first whom I haue promised to put in the last place that in their sacred functions they offered the most holy sacrifice of Masse And first to begin with S. Andrew It is a receaued opinion Iodoc. Cocc Tom. 2. l. 7. artic 5. de purgator that this holy Apostle did first deliuer that forme of Masse which was auntiently and from the beginninge vsed in the church of Constantinople and after called the Masse of S. Iohn Chrisostome the great and learned Patriarke of that place because it was enlarged by him and is stil as our protestants acknowledge vsed to this day in the churches of Greece Edwin Sands relation of Religion cap. 53. or 54. And that hee himselfe did vsually and daily offer this moste sacred oblation of Christs body and blood wee haue moste auncient and vndeniable testimonies whether we will professe our selues Catholicks or protestants in Religion for both these agree in this that S. Andrew was martyred by Aegeus Procōsull of Achaia in the citie Patras and they celebrate his day of festiuitie vppon the laste of Nouember And they doe or ought if they make not fictions of theire owne deduce the history of his passion from the auncient penners and relators thereof which bee the preists and deacons of Achaia which were eye witnesses and present at the same S. Cyprian or whosoeuer was the auncient Author of the booke amonge his workes de duplici Martyrio The old Anonimus who wrote the booke of the Apostles liues published by the learned Bishop of Vienna Fredericus Nausea S. Simeon Metaphrastes himself a learned grecian and auncient of those parts S. Iuo S. Bernard Algerus the auncient writer of the liues of Saints the whole latine church in the publicke seruice of the feast of S. Andrew the Apostle the auncient Breuiary of the church of Salisbury in England and others are witnesses that S. Andrew beeinge persuaded and threatned by Aegeus the Proconsull to sacrifice to the Pagan Gods answered publicklie vnto him in these wordes Ego omnipotenti Deo qui vnus verus est immolo quotidie non taurorum carnes nec hircorum sanguinem sed immaculatum Agnum in altari cuius carnem posteaque omnis multitudo credentium manducauerit Agnus qui sacrificatus est integer perseuerat viuus I doe daily sacricrifice to God almightie the onely true God not the flesh of bulls nor blood of goates but the immaculate Lambe vppon the altar whose flesh after all the multitude of beleeuers haue eaten the Lambe that is sacrificed remayneth whole and liuinge Breuiar Missale Rom. Martyrolog Rom. Bed Vsuard vlt. Nou. Protestant comm Booke in calendar Nouem infest vlt. Nouem Cooper v. Andreas Godw. conuers Magdeb cent 1. in Andr. Apostolo Act. S. Andrea per Presb. Diacon Achaiae Ciprian l. de duplic Mart. Anonim in mirac vit Pass Apost in S. Andrea Sim. Metaphr in S. Andr. S. Iuo Carnoten Episc serm de Sacram dedicat ser 4. Algerus contra Berengar S. Bernard apud Francisc Feuarden annotat in Frenaeum l. 4. contra haer cap. 32. pag. 361. Iacob Genuen Epis in vit S. Andrea vlt. Nouem Breu. Ecclesiae Salisbur ibidem 2. Thus it is euident that S. Andrewe the Apostle did offer this holy sacrifice of Masse and euery day and that the sacrifice was Christ himself the true Lambe of God that taketh away sinnes Amonge the holy auncient and renowned witnesses S. Iuo supr ser 4. speakinge of this holy sacrifice of Masse thus wtiteth In memoriam veniunt verba beati Andreae Apostoli quibus asserit in caelis esse corpus Domini de altari posse sumi corpus Domini Cuius inquit carnes cum sint comestae in terris à populo ipse tamen in caelestibus ad dexteram Patris integer perseuerat viuus The wordes of S. Andrew the Apostle doe come to memory in which hee affirmeth that the body of our Lord is in heauen and yet may his body bee receued from the altare Whose flesh saith hee when it is eaten of the people on earth yet he perseuereth whole and aliue in heauen at the right hand of his Father And this giueth full satisfaction for S. Andrew that hee was a sacrificinge and massinge preist 3. The next in order is S. Iames the brother of S. Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist martired by Kinge Herode as we reade in the 12. chapter of the Acts of the Apostles where our protestants thus reade About that time Herod the Kinge stretched forth his hand to vexe certaine of the church And he killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword Actor cap. 12. ver 1.2 Which his timely death hath taken from him such ample memory as is deliuered of some other Apostles that liued longer in histories But beeing assured before by all kinde of testimonies that he was one of them to whom our blessed Sauiour gaue power and commaundement to offer the holy sacrifice of his body and blood that he there being consecrated a preist and one of the three Apostles which our Sauiour most loued and hee him
it became more ciuill by the Romans rulinge and abidinge here and receauing the faith of Christ there was no nation in this part of the world knowne then to the Romans that might bee so truely termed ferociores rebelliores gentes more feirce and rebellious nations then these of Britanie as not onely the Roman historians of those times but S. Gildas himselfe a Britan moste lamentably bewaylinge it their owne Brittish history and others ar sufficient witnesses Iul. Caesar l. de bell Gallic Cornel. Tacit. Sueton. Diod. Sicul. Gild. l. de excid conquest Britan. Galfrid Monum l. 3.4 and yet S. Clement plainely saith that hee then already had or would by the grace of God send Bishops into al those contries and that it was S. Peters commaunde vnto him to send to all cities where hee himselfe had not ordeyned Bishops Therefore wee cannot doubt but S. Clement did performe this commaundement of S. Peter and his owne promise in sending some learned Bishops and preists into this kingdome S. Antoninus Philippus Bergomensis diuers in the opinion of Harrison a protestant and Master Harris a late Catholicke writer thinke hee sent S. Taurinus hither S. Antomn Florent Archiep. histor part 1. Philipp Bergom histor in S. Taurino Will. Harrison descrip of Britanie Harris theatr l. 1. and this laste affirmeth the same of S. Nicasius citing also Arnoldus Mirmannius who plainely saith that amonge other people S. Nicasius instructed the Britans in the faith beeinge sent thither Apostle by S. Clement Britones formauit fide S. Nicasius à S. Clemente illuc Apostolus delegauit Arnold Mirmann theatr conuers gent. at which time there were no Britans but of this Britanie 6. The same I may and not vnprobably say of S. Martine to whome a church was dedicated at Canterbury in the time of Kinge Lucius and S. Marcellus or by some Marcellinus a Brittish Bishop of this Land or the nere ensuinge time And if any man obiecteth three of these S. Taurinus Nicasius and Martine by diuers writers preached in Fraunce this hindereth nothinge but rather proueth seeing others affirme it that they preached here also S. Marcellus or Marcellinus which was certainly a Britan both preached and was Bishop in a forreine contry so was S. Mansuetus and S. Beatus in the same case before and it is euident by Methodius and Marianus already cited that this was vsuall in those daies for the same men to preach not onely in their owne but forreine and straunge contries And our English Protestant publishers of Matthew of Westminster incline to thinke so of diuers sent into Fraunce by S. Clement Matth. Westm an 94. amonge whome there are numbred S. Nicasius and Taurinus for where the Monke of Westminster saith they were sent by S. Clement ad locandum in Gallijs nouae fidei fundamentum to place the foundation of the faith in Gallia these protestants giue a larger circuite and say plainely doctores mittuntur versus occidentem that S. Clement sent those doctors S. Denis Nicasius Taurinus Trophinus Paulus Saturninus Astremonius Martialis Gratianus Iulianus Lucianus Firminus Photinus into the West where Britanie is Protestant Marg. annotat in Matth. Westm supr an 94. and very straung it should be if S. Clement as before hauing so great charge giuen vnto him by S. Peter as well of Britanie as Gallia and by his owne words and promise was to send Bishops into this our Britanie should bee so mindfull of Fraunce so nere vnto vs to send so many as we see thither and forget S. Peter himselfe and Britanie so much as to send none vnto it at all 7. That S. Clement and consequently those holy preists and Bishops which were consecrated and sent by him into these parts were sacrificinge and massinge preistes is manifest before his owne works ar so euident in this behalfe that if S. Clement was not a massing preist and Bishop and consecrated such there neither is or euer was any massinge preist in the world For hee setteth downe at large the whole order of that holy sacrifice as it is now offered and celebrated by Roman Catholicks prouinge that vnbloody sacrifice to bee the moste holie bodie and blood of Christ so naming it as also holy Oblation Masse and other such titles as the present Roman church doth Clem. l. 6. constitut cap. 23. l. 2. cap. 6.20 epistol 2. l. 7. constitut Apostol cap. 43. l. 8. cap. 35. l. 10. Recognit epist 2. can Apost 3.4.5.72 hee remembreth also the consecrated Altars whereon it was offered altare cloathes and veales for the altare lights thereuppon church vessels of gold and siluer chalices cruets pales incensinge holy vestures by the Bishops and preists at that time the signinge with the Crosse naminge of holy martyrs and their memories the preface to the Masse and canon thereof wherein was offered the same sacrifice Christ himselfe instituted Prayers and sacrifice for the deade the ghospell and epistle reade at Masse the pax or holy salutation and with other ceremonies the preists benediction at the ende of the holy sacrifice how the Catechâ—…ens not baptised were not permitted to be present at the sacrifice but dismissed before and in no materiall thinge differeth from the present missale vsed in the church of Rome epist 2. l. 8. constit cap. 16.17 l. 2. constit cap. 23.61.63 l. 8. cap. 17. l. 6. cap. 30. l. 8. cap. 18.47.48 l. 2. cap. 63. l. 8. cap. 15. l. 2. cap. 61.62 8. And it would bee a very vnlearned obiection in this case for any man to say that S. Clements workes haue beene corrupted for euident it is before that all his predecessors in the see of Rome all the Apostles Euangelists and their disciples in all places taught and practised this holy doctrine and sacrifice of Masse so that except S. Clement should be singular against them all in this point which is manifestlie vntrue before his bookes could not bee corrupted or corrected in this respect and if they had beene altered therin they had beene corrected to the common receaued truth and not corrupted with errors Secondly no man that saith S. Clements workes to haue beene corrupted as Ruffinus and others doe say they were corrupted in any such matter but by the Eunomian hereticks thrustinge in some things sauouringe of their heresie into his books Ruffin Apolog. pro Origene and Ruffinus and all those men were teachers practisers and defenders of holy Masse Ruffin histor eccl l. 1. cap. 22. Thirdly our protestants which graunt the church to haue beene free from error longe after the first 400. yeares of Christ before which Ruffinus liued and these bookes were corrupted as hee with others testifieth may not bee allowed by their owne Religion to say these sacrificinge and massinge doctrines were errors but truthes of those vnspotted times And so it is not possible that exceptinge some thinge tendings to the Eunomians heresie foisted into his works by them any thinge els about these matters should be thrust in for
with other Authors confessed Matth. Parker antiquitat Brit. pag. 47. cap. 17. and such was the condition of his next successor S. Euaristus vsing the same order of saying Masse with S. Peter and both claiminge and exercisinge supreamacie ouer all churches as these protestants assure vs. Parker supr Barn in vit Pontif. in Euaristo Io. Funoc commentar l. 5. an 105. Ed. Grimston and Nennius the auncient Brittish writer who as these protestants say wrote a thousand yeares since doth expressely affirme in his Manuscript history that hee delt with the Kinge himselfe of this our Britanie about the conuersion thereof probably before Kinge Lucius was borne Missa legatione à Papa Romano Euaristo And many were conuerted by this hâ—…s meanes booke of estates pag. 435. Bal. l. de scriptor cent 1. in Nennio Banchor Nennius histor M.S. therefore this Pope being knowne to bee a massinge Pope the preists which were by NeÌ„nius seÌ„t hither by him must needs bee massing preists as all others here at and before that mission were 4. Next is Pope Alexander a man by our protestants allowance studio euangelizandi miraculis celebris interfectus martyr obijt renowned for his zeale in preachinge the ghospell and miracle and dyinge a martyr Whitguist answ to the admonit pag. 97.98 Rob. Barnes l. de vit Pontific Rom. in Alexandro 1. Bal. act Rom. Pontific in eodem this Pope as Albertus Krantzius writeth sent preachers and preists into this our Britanie Albert. Krantz Metropol l. 1. cap. 6. therefore to know of our protestaÌ„ts whether they were massing preistes we must enquire and learne of them what he was in this respect that sent them because hee would not not could send others then hee himselfe was for such a busines That hee was a sacrificinge massinge preist and Pope these protestants thus assure vs by the lawes and decrees which as they thus testifie hee made and published for the church Robert Barn in vit Pont. in Aleaandro 1. Io. Funccius l. 5. commentar in Alexand. 1. an 111. In Eucharistiae sacrificio aquam vino admisceri voluit Ad Eucharistiae oblationem azimum panem non fermentatum sumendum esse praecepit Vno die vnam tantum Missam à singulis sacrificijs fieri debere decreto sanciuit Peccata sacrificio de Eucharistia loquens deleri ait Ideo passionem in Missa recitandam instituit Rationem effectus huius sacrificij hoc est quod peccata expiet adiecit dicens Quia corpore sanguine Christi in sacrificijs nihil maius est Hee tooke order that in the sacrifice of Eucharist water shoulde bee mingled with wine He commaunded that vnleuened and not leuened breade should bee vsed for the sacrifice of the Eucharist Hee made a decree that no sacrificing preist should say more then one Masse in one day Speakinge of the Eucharist he saith that sinnes ar blotted out with sacrifice therefore hee ordeyned that the passion should bee recited at Masse He added the reason of this effecte of this sacrifice to purge sinnes sayinge because in sacrifice nothinge is greater then the body and blood of Christ 5 These protestants add further of this massinge Pope in this busines Rob. Barns supr in Alex. 1. In Massa pridiè quam pateretur vsque ad haec verba Hoc est corpus meum addidit ad memoriam passionis Christi inâ—…ulâ—…andam He added in the Masse the day before hee suffered vnto these words this is my body to impresse in our memories the passion of Christ Where we see it euidently confessed by these protestants themselues that this primatiue holy Pope Alexander that liued to speake in a Protestant Archbishops words anno 111. in the yeare of Christ one hundred and eleuen and was a godly Bishop Ioh. Whitguift answ to the admonit sect 1.2 pag 97.98 and dif of the answ pag. 594. and by the German historian before sent preists into this kingdome was as farr engaged in the misteries of holie Masse as any Roman massinge preist is at this present acknowledging it to be the greatest of al sacrifices the body and blood of Christ a sacrifice expiatinge and propitiatory for sinnes And what matter was to bee vsed and consecrated and how preists were to behaue themselues in this most holie sacrifice And it appeareth euen by these mens testimonies that the preists of that time are so far from not sayinge Masse that they did not onely daily offer this most holie sacrifice of Christs body and blood for sinnes but they said Masse more often then once a day diuers Masses in one day vntill it was forbidden as before by this holy Pope That one preist should say but one Masse a day Vno die vnam tantam Missam à singulis sacrificijs fieri debere decreto sanciuit 6. This Pope was as all Christians then far from beinge a parlamentary protestant of England to punish sayinge or hearinge of Masse daily with a yearely penaltie of foure and twenty thousands three hundreds twenty pounds twenty markes an huÌ„dred markes for euery Masse or make holy sacrificing massinge preists to be traitors and their entertayners fellons when by these protestants Rob. Barnes sup in Alexandro 1. this holy Pope excommunicated those that resisted the Popes Legats and forbad preists and cleargie men to bee conuented before a lay tribunall Legatis Apostolicis obsistentes decreto excommunicauit Clericum ad plebeium tribunal pertrahâ—…re prohibuit And yet hee was so holy and renowned a man as besides that which protestaÌ„ts haue testified of him before an other writeth Edw. Grimston in the estate of the church of Rome pag. 435. in Alex. 1. Alexander a Roman a man of so holy a life as many Roman Senators receaued the Christian Religion by reason of his great pietie So wee may be assured that all ChristiaÌ„s theÌ„ were of his opinioÌ„ in these things as they before him were for none of these things which these protestaÌ„ts here say hee decreed were new or inuented or added by him but confirmed in their first institution and integritie as I haue proued from these protestants and others before that the mixture of water with wine was an apostolicall tradition Couel against Burg. pag. 122. which S. Alexander himselfe confirmeth when hee saith of it Cyprian epistol 63. Alexand. 1. epistol 1. a patribus accepimus ipsa ratio docet We haue so receaued it from our predecessors and reason it selfe so teacheth and therefore commaundeth vt pauis tantum vinum aqua permixtum in sacrificio offerantur that onely breade and wine mixed with water bee offered in the sacrifice and S. Cyprian plainely saith it was Dominica traditio a tradition of Christ himselfe by his owne order and example And hee with others so expoundeth Salomon in the Prouerbs to prophesie therof as I haue declared at large before Prouerb c. 9. Ciprian epist 63. ad Cecilium 7. The eminency of this sacrifice aboue all others how it conteyneth the body and blood of Christ and is
vel comburi vel in sacrarium repositum seruari 19. Therefore this Pope beeinge in all mens iudgements Catholicks and Protestants Ioh. Bal. l. 1. act Pontif. Rom. in Pio 1. an holy Saint and martyr and to vse a Protestant Bishops words one that did many vvorks of true pietie in the field of the Christian church multa verae pietatis opera in agro Christianae Ecclesiae fecisse perhibetur was so wel acquainted with our Christian Britans and both claymed and exercised supreame spirituall iurisdiction ouer all places and parsons in matters of Religion by these protestants Robert Barnes in vit Pij 1. Quae ad Religionem spectant à suae dioceseos synodis audtenda esse statuit salua tamen Pontificia authoritate of all natious this our Britanie must needs then bee an honorer of sacrificinge preists and holy Masse in this time and euer after vnto the generall conuersion of it in the time of S. Eleutherius betweene whome and this Saint Pius there were but two Popes S. Anicetus and S. Sother both which were not Popes many yeares by these protestaÌ„ts not 18. yeares by any of their accompts Robert Barn in Pio 1. Anicet Sother Io. Balaeus in act Pontif in eisdem Edvv. Grimst in the same Popes Foxe Tom. 1. 20. And these Popes were so far from crossinge with this and others their predecessors in these points of supreamacy sacrificinge preists and sacrifice of Masse that by the confession of these protestants they made decrees which confirmed them all makinge lawes bindinge all Archbishops Primates and Metropolitans and shewing they were subiect to the Pope of Rome and prescribed rules for all preists sayinge Masse and shauing their crownes as they now vse in the Roman church at this day Archiepiscopum à suo Episcopo aut coram primate aut Romano Pontifice accusandum esse Archiepiscopos non Primates sed Metropolitanos appellandos esse dixit nisi ista praerogatiua à Romano Pontifice concederetur Capitis verticem spherulae instar radendum Sacerdotibus praecopit Ne Sacerdos celebraret nisi vt minimum duo adessent ordinauit ne Monacha pallam contrectaret neuè thus in aceram poneret statuit So wee are sure these two holy Popes Saints and Martyrs were also sacrificinge Popes and all preists at that time vnder them whether in Britanie or els where beeinge subiect and obedient vnto them were massinge preists And so wee are now come with a continuall deduction of these sacred doctrines and practises both in the church of this our Britanie and others vntill the time of Pope and Saint Eleutherius when and by whose happy meanes historians commonly tell vs this kingedome was generally conuerted to the faith of Christ THE XVI CHAPTER Wherin is proued by testimonies of protestants and others that this kingdome in the time of Kinge Lucius was conuerted by massing Preists and Bishops and the holy sacrifice of Masse and such massinge preists and Bishops continued here in honor all this age IN this happy generall conuersion of this kingdome no man of what Religion soeuer can without prophane and irreligious boldnes and impudentnes affirme in iudgement that so wise and vertuous a Kinge his Nobles so many learned Druides and others especially moued to Christian Religion by the paâ—…ence pietie and vertue of the glorious Martyrs and Saints of those dayes by all antiquities Masse sayinge or Masse hearinge Christians would write such suppliant letters and send Ambassadors so longe a iorney as from hence to Rome to bee conuerted to any other Religion of Christ but that sacrificinge and massinge profession by the miracles and sanctity of whose professors they were so moued and conuinced in iudgement it was the only truth Neither would or could Pope Eleutherius an holy learned Saint and successor onely to sacrificinge massing Popes and preists recommend vnto King Lucius and this kingdome any other then massinge preists and Religion or the learned messengers of Kinge Lucius as our protestants stile them Io. Bal. centur 1. de scriptor in Eluan Meduuin Math. Parker antiq Brit. Godwin Conuers of Britanie consent to any other or so many renowned both preists and Bishops as were still remayninge in or of this nation knowne massinge preists and bishops ioyne with the Legats of Pope Eleutherius in teaching and preachinge any other doctrine or Religion 2. Such were our renowned contrimen S. Mansuetus yet liuinge except the Annals of Treuers or the same name deceaue vs consecrated preist by S. Peter and now remoued from Toul to Treuers for the ecclesiasticall Annals of that archiepiscopall sea tell vs. Petr. Merssaeus Annal. Archiep. Treueren 7. that S. Mansuetus I reade of no other of that name but our holy coutryman in that time was Archbishop of Treuers in the yeare of Christ 160. Mansuetus qui huic nomini vocationi suae vita proba anno Domini 160. optimè respondit And S. Marcellus or Marcellinus our glorious contryman who before his departure out of Britanie had moued Kinge Lucius to the faith of Christ and after of the Tungers and Archbishop also of Treuers returninge hither with the Popes Legats was so renowned an instrument in the conuersion of this kingdome that the Annals of the place where hee was Archbishop say that by the preachinge of this Saint the third Bishop of Tungers Kinge Lucius was baptised Annal-Treuer in S. Marcello S. Marcellus alijs Marcellinus fuit Tungorum tertius Episcopus huius praedicatione Rex Angliae id est Lucius baptizatus est The catalogue of the Bishops of Tunger giueth him greater honor tellinge vs that by his preaching hee conuerted Lucius Prince of Britanie with the whole nation to the faith of Christ Lucium Britanniae Principem cum tota gente sua praedicatione ad Christum conuertit Catalog Episcop Tungrens in S. Marcello And yet I haue shewed before that these were massinge preists and Bishops as their predecessors in those places S Valerius Eucharius Maternus and others were 3. The same I say of S. Tymotheus our holy contryman by his Mother S. Claudia beeinge a knowne massinge preist and one of the owners of that his and his brother Nouatus and Sisters house in Rome so notoriously dedicated to bee the first publick massinge church there for this holy massinge preist came hither in this time and was so great a worker in the conuersion of this his contrie that the histories of Treuers themselues which giue such honor as before to their Archbishop S. Marcellus in this busines yet freely also acknowledge that Kinge Lucius was brought to the Religion of Christ by S. Timothie whome they call S. Paules disciple perhaps because S. Paul maketh so honorable a memory of his parents S. Pudens and Claudia 2. Timoth. 4. likely did baptize this S. Timothie and therby called his disciple though a very child when S· Paul was martyred Martyrolog Rom. die 20. Iunij Baron annot ib. Sur. Tom. 3. die 12. Iunij and the other S.
consolidatis and this Pope highly commeÌ„ded for that his general confirmation vt bonus paterfamilias And by their first Archbishop with others before and as I haue proued by continuall deduction the order and forme of Masse which S. Peter deliuered to the church was still continued after this time without any materiall chaunge alteration addition or diminution Neither doth any Protestant Author challenge S. Eleutherius of any innouation in Religion but the contrary how hee condemned all innouators therein as Tatianus and the Seuerians makinge a decree against them and the knowne Religion of Christ his sacrificinge Religion as before is proued was much increased by him Sub hoc Pontifice caepit Ecclesia esse securior ob id Christianorum Religio plurimum aucta est And yet no chaunge at all therin Bal. Robert Barnes in vita Eleutherij Eleutherius epist decretal ad prouincias Gall. To. 1. conc Io. Bal. act Pont. Rom. l. 1. in Eleutherio Rob. Barn in vit Pontif. Rom. in eodem therefore all those Bishops preists which by all writers hee consecrated must needs bee massinge Bishops and preists as all those three Archbishops 28. Bishops which he consecrated or confirmed for this kingdome renowned in histories and all the preists of this our Britanie vnder them must needes bee massing Archbishops Bishops and preists Whose succession here continued vnto the conuersion of the Saxons and after by all histories and vntill both those peoples vnited themselues as well in this massinge and sacrificinge doctrine which both the Britans and Saxons had euer obserued from their first conuersions as in al other points of Christian Religion The names of many of them I haue remembred in other places 7. And concerninge the supreame spirituall power which this holy Pope both claimed and exercised both in this kingedome to settle these sacred points of Religion here and in other nations these protestants assure vs it was as great and ample as euer any his successors did or now doe challenge in such affaires These men tell vs. Rob· Barnes in vit Eleutherij protest annot Mag. in Matth. Westm an 188. hee condemned hereticks and made decrees against them he made lawes binding all cleargie men in the cases of Bishops reserued judgement to the see of Rome vt nihil nisi apud Pontificem definiretur In his epistle to Kinge Lucius so recommended by our protestants hee prescribeth what lawes hee was to vse Hee appointeth the limits and bounds of Britanie as these men witnes in the lawes of Kinge Edward tâ—e Confessor His Legats disposed of all spirituall things here in that time and he by his papal authoritie confirmed them And so they continued vntil heresie and infidelity in the Pagan Saxons time did ouerthrowe them as all histories and antiquities Brittish or Saxon Catholicks or protestants as their Bishops Parker Bale and Godwine with Cambden Powell Holinshed Stowe and others cited in other places are witnesses Therefore it will bee but a superogated worke to proceede further to followinge ages yet for a generall and compleate content to all I wil though with more breuitie speake also of them and here end this second age or hundred of yeares Pope Eleutherius dyinge in the later ende thereof and Kinge Lucius not longe after in the beginninge of the next age and Pope and S. Victor the immediate successor of S. Eleutherius both endinge this and giuing entrance to the next ensuinge age and centenary of the yeares of Christ by his papall regiment THE THIRD AGE OR HVNDRED YEARES OF CHRIST THE XVII CHAPTER How notwithstandinge the manifold tumults and persecution of Christian Religion in this kingdome of Britanie in this third hundred yeares yet the holy sacrifice of Masse sacrificinge and massinge preists and Bishops stil here continued without any totall discontinuance KInge Lucius dyinge as Matthew of Westminister with others writeth in the yeare of Christ 201. the first of this third hundred yeare without heire This our kingdome by that meanes in the beginning of this age was pitifully vexed with warrs and tumults towards the later end therof lamentably tormented and afflicted as the whole Christian worlde almoste then was with the moste cruell and barbarous persecution of Diocletian in which among other miseries all monuments of Christian Religion so neare as he could were ruined and destroyed whereby it came to passe that little memory of ecclesiasticall things then in this nation is left to posteritie yet sufficient is to be found that together with the Popes supreamacy in such affaires the holy sacrificinge preisthood the sacrifice of Masse and diuers renowned sacrificinge Bishops and preists here still continued without discontinuance in al this age notwithstandinge so huge an army of moste sauage and cruell enemies still fightinge against them Matth. Westm. an gratiae 201. Bed l. 1. histor c. 4.6 Parker antiquit Britan Godwin conuers of Britanie Stowe histor in K. Lucius Theater of great Brit. l. 6. Foxe Tom. 1. Holinsh. histor of Engl. Galfr. Monum hist. Britan. l. 5. cap. 1.2.3.4.5.6.7 Ponticus Viran Brit. histor l. 5. Gildas l. de excid conquest Britan. cap. 7.8 2. For First our cheife protestants haue told vs before that S. Peters Maste continued in vse in the church without any chaunge vnto the time of Pope and S. Zepherine which was next successor to S. Victor therefore by their allowance wee haue the sacrifice of Masse a massinge preisthood and preists to offer that holie sacrifice all his time Therefore when wee finde by many antiquities and historians aswell Catholicks as Protestants that hee sent many learned preists and preachers into this kingedome especially the more northren parts thereof which wee now cal Scotland wee must needes if wee had noe other argument conclude that they were sacrificinge and massinge preists because they receaued both their consecration and iurisdiction from soe knowne a massinge preist and Pope his authoritie Yet to make this matter more euident and shew the supreame spirituall power which hee vsed euen in this besides that which he both claimed and exercised in excommunicatinge the church of Asia for their not due obseruation of Easter hee confirmed the order and institution of his predecessor S. Eleutherius in subiectinge all the churches and Christians of that part of Britany now termed ScotlaÌ„d to the Archbishop of Yorke a massing preist Prelate as I haue shewed before these parts and countries then beeing temporally ruled by diuers temporall Kings or Princes and at difference or enmity at that time one with an other And to make this ReligioÌ„ more permanent with that rude nation the Scots themselues then began to study diuinitie Hector Boeth Scot. histor l. 6. fol. 89. pag. 2. beeing therin instructed by those preists which Pope Victor sent thither euen to the vttermost part therof to propagate Christian Religion Incepere nostri tum primum sacras colere literas Sacerdotibus praeceptoribus quos Victor Pontifex Maximus ad Christi dogma
Syriake text readeth in fractione Eucharistiae in breakinge the Eucharist And Iohn Caluine himselfe doth so plainely expounde the later place of the 20. chapter Actor cap. 2. v. 42. cap. 20. v. 7. Homil 17. operis imperfecti Beda ad cap. 20. act Ionas Aurelianen l. 3. de Imaginib text Syriac· Caluin in act 20. 6. And to make all sure the parlament statute of three Protestant Princes Kinge Edward 6. Queene Elizabeth and Kinge Iames. Statut. parlam· an 1. Edw. 6. an 1. Elizab and an 1. Iacobi Abridg. of stat titul seruice and Sacram. doth warrant vs that in the primatiue church communion was often vsed in one only kinde And the three first Euangelists S. Matthew Marke and Luke ar ample witnesses that the words of Christ drinke you all of this the ground of protestants in this contention were onely present with him and by him at that time made preists by all antiquities Matth. cap. 26. v. 20. Marc. cap. 14. ver 17.18 Luc. c. 22. v. 14. and so the words and commaundement could not possibly bee generall for that cause and if they had beene generall all the whole Christian worlde in all ages Catholicks from the beginninge and protestants since their new cominge had beene and ar guiltie of transgressinge that institution and commaundement Therfore seeing wee cannot finde any innouation in these misteries in this time let vs seeke out some more massing preists of this nation in this tempestuous season For such we finde particularly at Rome S. Mellanius as the Romane Martyrologe with others nameth him but by the auncient Manuscript history of his life and Capgraue S. Mellon He beeing a noble Britane and going hence to Rome to pay the tribute of his contry and serue the Emperor was conuerted to the faith of Christ by the massing Pope S. Stephen and by him takinge first all inferior orders was made a massinge preist Quem praefatus Papa sibi adhaerentem per omnes Ecclesiae gradus vsque ad Sacerdotium promouit Martyrolog Rom. die 22. Octob Baron ib. Vincent l. 11. c. 74. Petr. de natal l. 9. c. 93. Demochar contr Caluin M. S. antiq de vita S. Mellonis Ioh. Capgrau in catal in S. Mellone Episcopo and was so deuout a sayer of Masse that among other times as hee was sayinge Masse an Angell openly appeared both to the holy Pope and him at the right hand of the altare and Masse beeing ended designed him to goe to Rouen in Normandy where hee was the second Bishop next to S. Nicasius as the Annals of that church are witnesse and continued there a massinge preist and Bishop sent from that massinge Pope vntill about the yeare of Christ 280. which being before the beginninge of the persecution of Diocletian wee had then here in Britanie great numbers of massinge preists and Bishops as I haue proued before by our best antiquities 7. And though for that time wee are in a great defect and want of monuments yet wee haue warrant enough that both in and after that persecution wee had both massinge preists and Bishops to continue our hierarchicall succession for the present time of the persecution in this part of Britanie where the Romans ruled the persecution by that oportunitie and power raged wee must not looke into our churches and altars destroyed for publick vse of these holy points of Religion for as our best and moste auncient author S. Gildas writeth the Christians that remained did hide themselues in woods and deserts and hidden caues Qui superfuerant siluis ac desertis abditisque speluncis se occultauere Gildas l. de excid conq Biitan cap 8. S. Bede and others after both Catholicks and protestants haue the like Bed histor Eccl. Angl. l. 1. cap. 8. Matth. Westm. in Dioclet Theater of Brit. 16. Stowe Holinsh. histor of Eng. but if wee goe into the Northern parts beyond the Romans walland bounds where the Christian Britans and Scots vnder King Crathlint that renowned glory of that nation then reigned we shal finde both Masse and massinge preists of this our part of Britanie flying thither in honor and offeringe publicklie the moste holy sacrifice of Masse with great reuerence and solemnitie such were the holy massinge preist and Bishop S. Amphibalus Modocus Priscus Calanus Ferranus Ambianus and very many others alijque permulti preachinge the doctrine of Christ in all the Scottish contries Christi seruatoris doctrinam omnes per Scotorum regiones concionando multis pijsque sudoribus seminantes Hector Boeth Scot. histor l. 6. fol. 102. Veremund apud eund ib. Holinsh. histor of Scotland in K. Crathlint 8. And among these holy doctrines that of holy Masse sacrificing preists preisthood were so honorable and renowned that this religious Kinge Crathlint did build a cathedrall church for that our persecuted massinge Bishop and preists endowinge it with great guifts and al things necessary for the honorable and reuerent sayinge of Masse as chalices patens Candlesticks and other such thinges requisite for the vse of sacrifice made of siluer and gold and an altare inclosed with copper and brasse Sed Crathlintus Rex sacra Antistitis aedem muneribus ornauit amplissimis calicibus patenis candelabris alijsque similibus ad sacrorum vsum commodis ex argento auroque fabrefactis altarique cupro aere clauso And that these and many others flyinge thither in this time were of this part of Britanie where the English inhabite it is plaine by these histories so that it is moste manifest that all this third age or hundred yeeres of Christ the holy sacrifice of Masse massing preists preisthood stil cōtinued in al this kingdome of great Britanie although not in such splendor and glory by reason of the great afflictions and miseries of those dayes as in better times I will make mention of diuers our massinge preists and Bishops that escaped death and suruiued after this persecution in the next age and so end with this THE FOVRTH AGE OR HVNDRED YEARES OF CHRIST THE XVIII CHAPTER How the holy sacrifice of Masse sacrificing and massinge preisthood preists and Bishops continued in this kingdome of great Britanie in al this age without any interruption or discontinuance IN the beginninge of this age and fourth hundred yeare the state of the church of Christ was little different either in Britanie or any other nation from that wherin it was in the later end of the former for as our histories tell vs the persecution begun by Diocletian did not cease although not in such extremitie of rigour vntill Cōstantine the great our contriman had bene Emperor some yeares in the seuenth yeare of his Empire by Matthew of Westminster Florentius Wigorniensis and others caepta semel persecutio vsque ad septimū annum Constantini feruere non cessauit Matth. Westm an gratiae 304. Florent Wigorn. an 299. al. 321. neither doe our Scottish writers Veremundus Hector Boethius and others differ herein for they are witnesses that manie holy Christians of
relate it in these his owne words Manuscript antiq Godwin Catal. of Bish. in Winch. pag. 207. This church as the same Author olde Manuscript saith was hallowed and dedicated vnto the honour of our Sauiour October 29.189 by Faganus Damianus Bishops about the space of 100. yeare the church of Christ had then peace in this land viz. vntill the reigne of Dioclesian who endeauouringe to roote out Christian Religion not onely killed the professors of the same but pulled downe all churches and Temples any where consecrated vnto the exercise thereof Amongest the rest this of Winchester at that time went to wracke the buildings thereof beeinge ruinated and made euen with the grounde and the Monkes and all the officers belonginge vnto it either slaine or enforced to flie for the present time and yet afterward to denie Christ This happened anno 289. not longe after the death of this cruell Tyrant to witt the yeare 309. The church aforesaid was againe reedified and that with such wonderful forwardnes and zeale as within one yeare and thirtie dayes both it and all the edifices belonginge vnto it as chambers and other buildings for the Monkes were quite finished in very seemely and conuenient maner The 15. day of Marche following it vvas againe hallovved and dedicated vnto the honor and memory of Amphibalus that had suffered death for Christ in the late persecution by Constance Bishop as my author saith of Winchester at the request of Deodatus Abbot of this nevv erected monastery The like or greater expedition was vsed in buildinge and dedicatinge a church to S. Alban of great coste sumptuousnes where hee suffered Martyrdome and yet as Matthew of Westminster writeth it was finished or builded within ten yeares of his death and martyrdome Fabricata decem scilicet annis post passionem eius elapsis S. Bede saith as soone as the persecution ceased a church of wonderfull worke was builded there vnto his honor Vbi postea redeuÌ„te temporum Christianorum serenitate Ecclesia est miri operis atque eius Martyrio condigna extructa So our histories testifie of S. Iulius and Aaron in particular Bed histor Eccl. l. 1. cap. 7. Matth. Westm. an gratiae 313. Io. Capgrau in S. Albano 6. And to make it manifest vnto vs that there were many Bishops left here after this persecution to consecrate and dedicate so many new builded founded and consecrated churches as were presently after the persecution ended erected in this kingedome and to execute other episcopall functions the best and moste auncient histories wee haue as S. Gildas S. Bede with others testifie that bilustro necdum ad integrum expleto before ten yeares of persecution were ended S. Gâ—…ldas words the ChristiaÌ„s eueryvvhere renevv their churches pulled dovvn to the ground found build finish churches of their holy Martyrs and celebrate their festiuities Bilustro supradicti turbinis necdum ad integrum expleto emercescentibusque nece suorum Authorum nefarijs decretis laetis luminibus omnes Christi Tyrones renouant Ecclesias ad solum vsque destructas basilicas Sanctorum Martyrum fundant construunt perficiunt ac velut victricia signa passim propalant dies festos celebrant And that wee may be assured that among these holy Christian exercises the holy sacrifice of Masse was offered by their sacrificinge and massinge preists it immediatly followeth in these renowned antiquities sacra mundo corde oreque confiâ—iunt They celebrate theire sacrifice with a pure hart and mouth And our antiquaries both Catholicks and Protestants assure vs there were altars for sacrifice in these churches S. Gildas calleth the altars altaria sacrosancta sacred altars whereon the heauenly sacrifice is offered and laied Sacrifieij caelestis sedem And that all the preistes of these Brittish churches were sacrificing or massing preistes at the altars Sacerdotes sacrificantes inter altaria stantes Gild. l. de excid Stovv histor in Constantine 2. Galf. Mon. histor Brit. l. 11. cap. 4. Matth. Westm an gratiae 543. 7. And if we wil appeale to other churches and iudges in this time whether to our Kinge and Emperor now a Christian or to the Popes of Rome yet Saints and holie men by the licence of our protestants or to generall councels the first being celebrated in this time or to the renowned Fathers that liued and wrote in this age wee shall finde these holy doctrines and exercises of the sacrifice of Masse sacrificinge massinge preists and preisthoâ—◠〈◊〉 haue beene in greatest honor as well in all other Christian nations as in this kingdome For CoÌ„stantine our Kinge Emperor and contryman we cannot better learne what minde and Religion hee was of in these matters then from S. Siluester then Pope and his Master and Father in Christian Religion who instructed him therein and from the first generall councell of Nice wherin and wherto hee was present and consented And to make all sure and walke with the passe of protestants in this trauaile wee are told by these men that this massinge Pope declared and decreed in what sacred attire both the preists which offered and the deacons which serued and ministred in the sacrifice of Masse should bee inuested Rob. Barnes l. de vit Pontif. Roman in Siluestro and to speake in a protestant Bishops wordes Huius Siluestri permulta feruntur instituta de chrismate consecrando pueris confirmandis temptis ornandis altaribus tegendis missatoribus constituendis vngendis vestiendis hostijs adorandis seruandis sacrificijs ceremonijs alijsque ritibus Very many institutions are ascribed to this Siluester of consecratinge chrisme confirminge children adorninge churches coueringe altars makinge massinge preists anointinge and vestinge them adoringe and reseruing the consecrated hostes of sacrifices ceremonies and other rites By which no man can doubt but S. Siluester was a massing preist and Pope this renowned Emperor conuerted by him a reuerencer of holy Masse and sacrificinge preisthood 8. which truth and doctrine for this age is more confirmed by the great generall councell of Nice where Constantine present assented and S. Siluester also present by his Legats Victor and Vincentius subscribinge approued in which it is plainely declared that none but consecrated massinge preists haue power to offer that holie sacrifice Concil Nicen. 1. can 14. per al. translat can 18. and to carry our protestants consents with vs herein the present protestant Archbishop of Canterbury director of Master Frauncis Mason together with this his directed secretary warrant vs herin sufficiently in these words The Nicen councell in that canon which Caluine and all other receaue saith plainely that the Lambe of God offered vnbloodily is laide vpon the holy table Fran. Mason in pref of his booke of consecrat pag. 243. therfore this holy councell being by all iudgements generall hauinge besides the consent of the Pope and Emperor the allowance and subscription of 318. Bishops and immediatly in those dayes as our protestants Theater of great Britanie l. 6. with others assure vs
many foundations to say Masse and pray for Christian soules and frends deceased as we find in the charter of Kinge Arthur before recited wherin among other motiues of that his confirmatorie priuiledge to the vniuersitie of Cambridge hee saith expressely that hee doth it with the consent of all his Bishops for the helpe of the soules of his antecessors Kings of Britanie Pro amore caelestis patriae remedioque animarum Antecessorum meorum BritaÌ„niae Regum Charta Regis Arthuri apud Caium supr antiq Cantabr l. 1. pag. 69. 5. After this Pope vntill they come to S. Gregory these protestants complaine of no additions but onely in Pope Pelagius the second which was the immediate predecessor to S. Gregory and sent him yet a priuate preist his legate to Constantinople of this Pope they write nouem praefationes ante canonem in Missa canendas de dit Hee gaue nyne prefaces to bee sunge before the canon in Masse Bal. in Pelag. 2. l. 2. in Act. Pontif. an other thus more particularly expresseth it Pelagtus nouem praefationes Ecclesiae de dit ante canonem in Missa canendas in Natali in Epiphania in Quadragesima de Cruce de Resurrectione de Ascensione in PeÌ„tecoste de Trinitate de Apostolis· Barnes in Pelag. 2. in vit Pont. Pelagius gaue nyne prefaces to the church to bee sunge before the canon in Masse one in the natiuitie of Christ an other in the Epiphanie in Lent of the Crosse of the Resurrection of the Ascension at Whitsontyde of the Trinitie of the Apostles I haue answered this before in Pope Gelasius to whome these protestants before contradictinge them selues ascribe the preface how vaine this quarrell is I haue there declared and onely add here from theire protestant like published Matthew of Westminster Anno gratiae 581. Papa Pelagius decreuit nouem praefationes taÌ„tum ad Missas debere cantari cassatis quotidianis quae dici solebant In the yeare of grace 581. Pope Pelagius decreed that only nine prefaces should bee sunge at Masse omittinge the daily prefaces which were wont to bee said Where wee see that this Pope did not add any thinge in this busines but rather deducted some prefaces though they had beene vsed to bee said before for so the words dici solebant manifestly proue as I wrote of Pope Vigilius before All which doe euidentlie testifie that the auncient receued custome of the church of Christ was longe before these dayes to vse these prefaces THE XXII CHAPTER Wherein euident demonstration is made euen by these protestants themselues that neither S. Gregory the great which sent S. Augustine with many other holy learned men into England did make any materiall addition or alteration in these misteries But the Religion which those his disciples preached here was in all points by all testimonies both of God and man Britans them selues and Saxons Catholicks and Protestants auncient and late writers the true Religion of Christ and in all things wherin they differed from the Britans more pure then that which they then professed NOw wee are come to the happy dayes of S. Gregory the great that sent so many holy men to preach Christian Religion to this English nation and so called our Apostle in which it will bee more manifest euen by these protestant accusers themselues that whatsoeuer differeÌ„ce there was betweene the holy disciples which he sent hither and some Britans the error in euery point was in those that opposed against the Roman mission And for S. Gregory himselfe one of the four holy Doctors of the church of Christ he was by all testimonies a great learned man holy Saint and so honored both in the Greeke and Latine church and the Masse hee vsed as our protestants haue told vs. Edw. Sands relation of Relig. supr both was and is receued and publickly vsed euen in the Greeke church beeing translated into Greeke hee is stiled by all writers protestants and Catholicks Gregory the great and commonlie named the Apostle of the English nation in all publicke protestant Kalenders placed amonge the holy Saints and by a Protestant Bishop his greatest accuser dignified with these honorable termes Bal. l. 2. de Act. Pontific Rom. in Gregorio Magno Gregorius Magnus omnium Pontificum seu vt dictum est Patriarcharum Romanorum doctrina vita praestantissimus inuitus ac demuâ—… coactus Pelagio praedicto successit vir doctus bonus Gregory the great the most excellent both for learninge and life of all the Romane Popes or Patriarkes did against his will and at laste therto compelled succeed Pelagius the second hee was a learned and good man Therefore it cannot bee either probable or possible that a man so learned vertuous and holy that hee is thus dignified by so great enemies both for learninge and pietie aboue all the Popes that euer were so learned knowne holy Saints and so vnwillinge to take that greatest honor and charge vpon him would or could contrary both to so great learning and pietie which could not consist with any the least error in Religion in essentiall things make any erroneous publick decree in such affaires For in so doinge hee should haue beene so farr from that eminent learninge and pietie and beinge a glorious Saint in heauen which both by protestants and Catholicks are generally held and written of him that quite contrary hee should haue beene an vnlearned wicked and damned man Which no tonge or mouth that hath learned to coÌ„fesse Christ dareth to affirme or vtter 2. But to giue all contentment I will examine all whatsoeuer in particular they say this so holy learned Pope added or altered in these misteries as they pretend This Protestant Bishop saith of him Bal. l. 2. supr in Gregor Mag. introitum in Missa ex aliquo psalmo cancre iussit Hee commaunded the introite in the Masse to bee sunge out of some psalme They haue told vs before of more auncient times wherein the introite was vsed before S. German Lupus Palladius Patricius were sent into these parts But if S. Gregory did any such thing seeing it was ex aliquo psalmo out of the holy scripture neither these men nor any which will not disallow of holy scripture may reprehend it And where this protestant accuser further saith Nonies in Missa Kyrie eleyson canere iussit S. Gregory commaunded that Lord haue mercy vpon vs should bee sunge 9. times in Masse Hee is deceued for that is songe but 6. times and Christ haue mercy vpon vs thrise And his frend Master Foxe Io. Foxe in Q. Mary pag. 1401. will tell him that this was the auncient custome of the Greeke church longe before froÌ„ which is was taken by S. Gregory only that S. Gregory added Christ haue mercy vpon vs. But howsoeuer is it not a moste holy and warranted custome so to pray our protestants theÌ„selues obserue it in their publick church seruice Com. booke tit Litan alibi and commonlie preferr them before
immunities which he graunted to the most knowne massing places of Britanie as Glastenbury and others and the great reuerence he vsed to all massinge preists and Prelates are sufficient testimony of this and to bee seene allmost in all histories Manuscripts and others of that time and hee liued vnto the yeare of Christ 542. Now if wee come to the Archbishops Bishops vnder them Matthew of Westminster and others tell vs that for Yorke that renowned massinge man S. Sampson was Archbishop there 7. yeares after the beginning of this age anno gratiae 507. Floruerunt in Britānia Sanctus Sampson Eboracensis Archiepiscopus S. Dubritius Vrbis Regionum Archiepiscopus Matth. Westm an 542. alij Matth. Westm an gratiae 507. what a miraculous massing preist and Prelate he was I haue spoken in the former age 3. That S. Dubritius ruled all in the Archiepiscopal see of Caerlegion where most both Bishops preists were in these daies at the least vntill the 16. yeare of this age I haue shewed before whē S. Dubritius with the rest of the Bishops of Britanie crowned King Arthur in that yeare Who was Archbishop of London at this time it is not so certainly remembred in particular But the Author of the Brittish history translated by Galfridus assureth vs that there was an Archbishop of London at this time that hee together with S. Dubritius Archbishop of Caerlegion the Archbishop of Yorke did crowne Kinge Arthur Trium Metropolitanarum sedium Archi Praesules Londoniensis videlicet Eboracensis nec non ex vrbe Legionum Dubritius hic Britanniae primas Apostolicae sedis Legatus Galfr. Mon. histor Reg. Brit. l. 9. cap. 12.13 and by the circumstances of the history these three Archbishops performed that great solemne coronation at the solēnitie of Masse at which both the Kinge these three Archbishops with the other Bishops of theire diuisions and the nobilitie of Britanie were present And this coronation is cheifely attributed to S. Dubritius because it was in his diocesse Dubritius quoniam in sua diocesi caria tenebatur paratus ad celebrandum obsequium huius rei curam suscepit and he was the Popes Legate And all histories agree that when the Bishops and cleargie either of London or Yorke diuision were persecuted by the Pagans they fledd for succour to the knowne massinge preistes and Prelates of Caerlegion diocesse communicatinge with them in Religion 4. S. Dubritius waxinge old and desirous to liue a solitary and contemplatiue life the holy Saint Dauid was miraculouslie chosen to succeed him Capgrau in S. Dauid Gyrald Cambr. Itiner Cambr. l. 2. cap. 1. Godwin in S. Dauids I haue shewed before that he was the scholler of the massing preist S. Iltutus scholler of the massinge Prelate Popes Legate S. Germanus This holy Archbishop was so renowned a massinge preist and Prelate that as wee reade both in auncient Manuscripts and other histories hee brought with from Hierusalem beeinge a pilgrime there an holy and miracalous Altar giuen him by the Patriake there on which he consecrated the body of our Lord. In quo Dominicum consecrabat corpus M. S. antiq de vit S. Dauidis Capgrau in Catalog in eod and to make euident vnto all that S. Dauid did say ordinarily Masse in Britanie aswell as at Hierusalem and likewise so did all the Bishops here of Britanie then and with great solemnitie to omitt many other memorable testimonies hereof we reade in the antiquities of Glastenbury Capgrauius and others a Protestant Bishop writeth that the history is still preserued engraued in Brasse at Wells in Sommersetshire though hee somewhat minceth it how S. Dauid and seuen other Bishops goinge to Glastenbury to dedicate the holy church there Christ appeared vnto him the night before the intended dedication and bid him absteine from dedicatinge it for it had beene dedicated before to the blessed Virgin Mary his Mother M. S. antiq Io. Capgrau Catalog in S. Patricio antiq Glaston Godwin conuers of Brit. pag. 11. and to testifie the truth of this vision testimony left a miraculous wound in the right hand of S. Dauid tellinge him how it should bee as miraculously healed as it was hurt in this maner crastina die cum Pontificalibus inductus cum per ipsum cum ipso in ipso in Missa pronuntias ipso qui tecum loquitur operante per ipsum quem sacro conficies ore vulnus quod nunc abhorres nusquam esse videbis Et cum sanctus iussa complesset sicut praedixit Dominus efficitur sanus To morrow when thou art adorned with thy pontificall vestiments and shalt pronounce in Masse the words by him with him and in him he that speaketh with thee workinge by him whome thou shalt make with thy sacred mouth thou shalt see noe where the wound which thou now abhorrest And when the Saint had done as hee was commaunded as our Lord foretold he was made found And it followeth in the same ātiquitie preserued in Brasse by Thomas Highes of Wells esquier as that protestant Bishop writeth heretofore fixed vppon a piller of S. Iosephs chappell which hee himselfe had read Godwin supr cap. 2. pag. 11. 5. Postea idem Episcopus Domino reuelante quendam cancellum in orientali parte haic Ecclesiae adiecit in honore beatae Virginis consecrauit cuius altare inestimabili sapphiro in perpetuam huius rei memoriam insigniuit Afterward the same Bishop S. Dauid by the reuelation of our Lord did add a certaine chauncell to this church in the east parte and consecrated it in the honor of the blessed Virgin whose Altar for perpetuall memory of this thinge hee did adorne with a sapphire of an inestimable price Where we euidently see the doctrine practise both of the Archbishop and Bishops of Britanie seuen of them beeing then present to goe on pilgrimage to holy places and relicks that they were sacrificing preists said Masse and with great reuerence and solemnitie and in that holy sacrifice consecrated by consecratinge wordes of their mouthes and offered the blessed body and blood of Christ vsed the same canon wee now doe as the wordes per ipsum cum ipso in ipso with the other circumstances tell vs and so honored the holy Altars whereon this heauēly sacrifice was offered that they there offered inestimable guifts and ornaments to honor them withall which is as much as any preist of the present Roman church teacheth or contēdeth at this time or Catholicke Religion alloweth them to doe 6. This renowned Archbishop so miraculous for his birth prophetically foretold his life and death and so holy and pleasing vnto God that as I haue shewed in him alreadie God spared to take vengeance on the sinnes of the Britans for his sake during his life died in the yeare of Christ 546. but 50. yeares before S. Augustines coming hither as our protestants themselues with others witnesse Bal. l. de scriptor Britan. cent 1. in Dauid
of the English Author of the booke de Virginitate or laude Virginum of the praise of Virgins commonly ascribed to our holy learned Bishop S. Aldelmus callinge S. Gregory the Pope his Master and Tutor Praeceptor Pedagogus noster Gregorius l. de laude Virginum Bal. cent 1. in Adel. Pitseus To. 1. in eod wee must needs as the rule of correlatiues Master and scholler requireth make him scholler to S. Gregorie the great which liued but few yeares after S. Augustines cominge hither and being Pope then likely he was Tutor Master to this aūciēt English writer before the time of his papacie as he was to many others and not after 15. So I might instance of others but these aboundantly suffice to proue that after the first plantinge of the faith of Christ in this our Britanie there neuer wanted in it either in the time of the Britans Saxons or whom els soeuer Masse massing preists and Bishops For euen those Brittish preists and Bishops which moste opposed against S. Augustine in some other things were as farr engaged in these articles to bee sound and Orthodoxe as S. Augustine was and so both practised here in Britanie as I haue related before their most learned S. Kelian Columban and Gallus with others going hence into other nations did wholly submit themselues to the Popes of Rome and their cheifest S. Keliā was made Bishop of Mitzburgh by the Pope receuinge power from him to preach Romam profectus est officio praedicandi à Papa receptus Episcopus orditus Manuscript antiq de vita S. Keliani Io. Capgrau Catalog in eodem Sur. die 8. Iulij And that S. Columbanus the man whose authority was most obiected against S. Augustine about the diuers keeping of Easter was a notorious massinge preist as also S. Gallus in as high degree as any Catholicke now is it is testified in their liues where we find S. Columban did dedicat a church and altar with the relicks of S. Aurelia adorninge the altar said Masse vpon it Beatus Columbanus iussit aquam afferri benedicens illam adspersit ea templum dum circuirent psallentes dedicauit Ecclesiam deinde inuocato nomine Domini vnxit altare beatae Aureliae reliquias in eo collocauit vestitoque altari missas legittimè compleuerunt And in the same Authors wee reade that S. Gallus did ordinarily vse Missam celebrare to say Masse and beeing vrged both by the Prince Bishops and Cleargie to accept of the Bishoprick of Constance hee refused it and preferred Iohn his deacon whome S. Gallus had conuerted vnto the faith of Christ Who in his consecration was ledd by the Bishops to the Altar and solemnely consecrated and said Masse in which after the ghospell as the maner was S. Gallus preached Episcopi duxerunt eum ad altare solemni benedictionts officio ordinauerunt Antistitem consumatoque sacrae promotionis ministerio rogauerunt cum sacrificij salutaris celebrare mysteria Praemissis ergo ex more diuinae oblationis initijs post lectionem Euangelij rogauerunt venerabilem Gallum vt multitudini quae aderat verbi officio sacrae instructionis pabulum ministraret Where wee see as much deuotion and reuerence vsed by the greatests opposites to S. Augustine to the holy sacrifice of Masse sacrificinge preisthood holy water holy oyle to consecrate altares dedication of churches and such like matters moste disliked by protestants as S. Augustine vsed or any learned Catholicke now professeth or defendeth 16. And to remember Masses of requiem for the deade so soone as S. Gallus heard of the death of Saint Columban this S. Gallus so renowned a man called his bretheren together and they prayed and said Masses for his soule Audiens mortem S. Columbani collegit fratres causas meroris aperuit Deinde tanti patris memoriam precibus sacris sacrificijs salutaribus frequentarunt What forme of Masse both these and they which then continued in Britanie vsed I haue proued before from the Brittish antiquities as also how al which here were contrary to S. Augustine in some ceremonials I haue demōstrated by all kinde of testimonies that in these and al other essentiall and fundamentall things and not ceremoniall or alterable in Religion they wholly agreed and without the leaste difference consented with S. Augustine the church of Rome and differed in all now controuersed questions from the present protestants of this nation and all others And so Catholicke Romane or as protestants call it the papists church as it hath euer since to these dayes of innouation from then beene the onely knowne and visible church as these men freely confesse and acknowledge all antiquities writers and monuments so testifying so it was in the same maner the onlie true visible church in euery age or hundred yeares from Christ and his Apostles vnto that time no other in any thing resēbling the present protestants congregation beeinge knowne or heard of at home or abrode by their owne confessions and all Arguments in any one of those ages of the primatiue church of Christ And so I end this historie FINIS A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS THE I. CHAPTER WHERIN sacrificinge and Massinge Preisthood Preists and the sacrifice of Masse are proued by learned Protestants other testimonies from the history of Melchisedech Gen. 14. pag. 8. Chap. 2. The same proued with like allowance and approbation of Protestants out of the booke of Exodus pag. 30. Chap. 3. The same proued with allowance and consent of Protestants out of the booke of Leuiticus pag. 43. Chap. 5. Wherin the same holy doctrines are so also proued out of the Prouerbs of Salomon cap. 9. pag. 72. Chap. 6. Wherin the same mysteries are proued by the same maner out of the Prophet Esay and others pag. 78. Chap. 7. Wherin the same is proued at large by all expositions and testimonies euen by our Protestants themselues out of the Prophet Malachy pag. 89. Chap. 8. Wherin is proued by all kinds of testimonies Catholicks Protestants and whatsoeuer that Christ the true Messias as his calling and dignitie required in abrogatinge the preisthood and sacrifices of Moses lawe instituted an other more perfect sacrificinge preisthood and sacrifice of his sacred body and blood in Masse pag. 106. Chap. 9. Shewinge how the Apostles in generall beeing by Christ ordeyned sacrificinge preists did accordinge to that power and commaundement giuen vnto them offer the sacrifice of Christs body blood in Masse and ordered other preists to that end pag. 121. Chap. 10. Wherin is particularly proued of all the holy Apostles and Euangelists that they were sacrificinge massinge preists and did both practise and teach the same doctrines And first the 4. Euangelists and S. Paule who haue remembred these misteries in holy scriptures pag. 130. Chap. 10. How all the rest of the Apostles in particular S. Andrew Iames the great Thomas Iames the lesse Philip Bartholomew Symon Thaddaeus and Matthias were sacrificinge Preists and Apostles
the Apostles v. 2. hee was soe ordeyned as our english protestants by their conference of the first chapter and verse of S. Paules Epistle to the Romans Rom. cap. 1. v. 1. are Interpretors hereof when the other Apostles had preached longe before and otherwise alsoe executed their Apostolicke function Secondly it is euident by the same holy scriptures Rom. 1. c. 1. act cap. 27.28 many Antiquities and these protestants themselues soe clearely cōfessinge Theater of great Brit. lib. 6. Godw. Conuers Parker antiq Britan. that S. Paul came not to Rome nor any part neare Britanie or these westerne nations vntill many yeares after S. Peter was both come to Rome and this kingdome of Britanie had receaued the faith of Christ at the latest in the time of Claudius according to these protestants by some Apostle as before the first coming of S. Paul to any of these westerne Regions beeing longe after in the time of Nero to whome hee appealed from the Iewes and Festus and soe was brought prisoner to Rome and soe continued two yeares not going from thence to any other place Actor c. 25. v. 10.11.12 cap. 27. 28. v. 30. That S. Symon Zelotes should bee the first Apostle that preached here or was here at all it is as vnprobable or rather vnpossible by these protestants for first diuers of them disable him euer to haue beene here Stowe and Howes histor in Agricola Holinsh. hist of Engl. l. 4. c. 5. rather thinkinge the place Britānia where some haue thought hee preached to bee mistaken and not to bee vnderstood of this nation or that Simon which is supposed to haue beene here was not S. Simō the Apostle but some other of that name as S. Simon Leprosus or Nathaniel also by some named Simon which preached in these westerne parts namely in Fraunce and not vnprobably here Secondly these protestants which would haue vs thinke S. Simon the Apostle preached here Menologie Graec. in Nathan Bar. in martyrol Rom. 28. octob Guliel Eisengr centurie· 1. alij refer his beeing here vntil the coming of S. Ioseph of Aramathia coniecturinge that hee came with him who came not hither vntil the yeare of Christ 63. when they graunt that Britanie had receaued the ghospell by an Apostle soe longe before as is alreadie declared from them Parker Antiquit. pag. 3. Godwyn Conuers of Britanie pag. 10. Thirdly to make all sure Such as haue taught that one S. Symon did preach in a place called Britannia Doroth. in Synops Maenolog Graec. 6. Id. Maij. doe alsoe affirme that the same S. Symon suffered martyrdome and was crucified in the same place and they keepe the feast of his martyrdome vpon the tenth day of May. When concerning S. Symon Zelōtes the Apostle not onely the whole latine church and all catholicks in the world but Protestants also both of England and all other nations in their most publicke seruice bookes and kalenders of their churches receaued and allowed by their parlaments and highest Rules in their Religion which all of them ar bownde to obey and followe doe celebrate the festiuitie of S. Symon Zelotes the Apostle vpon the 28. day of October aboue fiue moneths after and all iointly agree in the historie of his life and death teaching hee neuer preached in any part of Europe or neare our Britanye and was martyred in Persia diuers thousands of myles frō hence Martyrolog Rom. die 28. Octobr. Breuiar Miss Rom. eod die Bed in Martyr eod die Vsuard Ado eod die Protestant com Booke and all their kalenders with their Bibles 28. of Octob. Now there is noe other left to bee our first Apostle and Father in Christ but S. Peter except some ignorant or willfull man will alledge S. Ioseph of Aramathia who though hee was noe Apostle yett as some say hee was sent hither out of Fraunce by S. Philip one of the Apostles and soe mediately the same S. Philip. though neuer here in parson might bee our Apostle I answere as before that wee contend for the first Apostle that either immediately by himselfe or mediatly by his disciples preached here and founded our church and not to exclude all Apostles in after times from this kingdome for I wil at leaste probably shew that S. Paul was here a little before his death in an other place and there alsoe giue his due to S. Ioseph and his holy company in a far more honorable degree then any protestant or other one writer yet to my reading hath performed towards them But S. Ioseph from whomsoeuer hee was sent cominge hither but in the 63. of Christ almost twenty yeares as before after this kingdome had receaued the faith of Christ neyther S. Ioseph nor any of that holy fraternitie could bee the first preacher here And soe farr vnprobable or impossible it is that by the Iudgment of our English protestants or others S. Philip the Apostle should bee then in Fraunce to send S. Ioseph hither that hee was many yares before crucified soe dead by martyrdome in Phrygia at Hierapolis there in Asia as the common consent of antiquities the whole-whole-church of God and the protestants of England in the Rituall of their Religion generally vsed and allowed by them and all other protestants doe wittnesse and therfore keepe his festiuitie accordingly vppon the first day of May in or about the 54. or 55. yeare of Christ longe before S. Iosephs cominge into this part of the world Bre. Rom. 1. Maij. Martyrolog Rom. Bed Vsuara Ado 1. Maij. Chrysost hom de 12. Apost Abd. lib. 10. Metaphrastes 14. Nou. Euseb l. 4. c. 24. Niceph lib. 1. ca. 39. Pet. de Natal l. 4. c. 107. Antō part 1. tit 6. ca. 11. Eisengr contra 1. Prot. Com. Booke and kalend 1. Maij. Therfore of necessitie both Catholiks and protestants must needs acknowledge that S. Peter the most worthie and blessed Apostle was our first most happy father master in Christ which I haue made lardge demonstration of in other places and will for particulars bee more euident in the next chapter and this whole history an historicall truth soe testified by many authors that Syr William Cambden whome others therein followe the best antiquary of this nation writeth in many editions Quid ni crederemus why should wee not beleeue them Cambden in Britania in diuerse editionis Andree Chesnee l 3. hist d' Angleterre Budley pag. 171. Makinge S. Peters preachinge and foundinge the church of Christ here in Britanie a thinge soe certayne that hee meruayleth any man of Iudgment can make doubt thereof Therfore I may boldly vse these wordes and affirme them true of a protestant Bishop in the name of the rest Wee should accompt it a greate glory to deriue the pedigree of our spirituall linage from soe noble and excellent a father as Saint Peter Godwyn Conuers of Britanie pag. 6. THE II. CHAPTER Where both the former is more manifestly declared and in particular farther proued by these protestants antiquities
by them allowed what highest spirituall offices the same glorious Apostle and his disciples performed here TO proue more amply what hath beene said of S. Peters beeing and preachinge here and to shewe what hee did for the first foundinge of our church A protestant Archbishop from diuers authorities writeth Whit gifts Answ. to the Admonition pag. 65. sect 1. and def of the Answ. pag. 318. The Apostle Peter did in euery prouince appoint one Archbishop whom all other Bishops of the same prouince should obey An other with great priuiledge saith Sutcliffe Subuers pag. 3. Peter preached in â—…e place but hee there ordeyned Bishops and teachers and founded churches And to shew that all these and such benefits came to vs first from S. Peter and his holy see of Rome among other Marcus Antonius de Dominis now by the greate mercy of God a penitent in the catholicke church when hee was in profession a protestant in England Marcus Anton de Domin de Repub christian l. 4. cap. 10. with publick priuiledg in England and a chosen champion for that Religion against the Pope by cheifest protestant authoritie in England then testifieth Est caput Roma quatenus ab ea diffusum est euangelium in reliquas totius occidentis ecclesias in multas orientis atque in barbaras etiam extra Romanum Imperium nationes Rome is the head of the church in so much as from it the ghospell was diffused into the other churches of all the West and into many of the East and into barbarous nations also without the Romane Empire And our Soueraigne kings speach in parlam 1. publickly protested of this church of Rome It is our mother church and consequently that it first brought vs forthe in spirituall christian birth as mothers doe their natural children to the world and that wee except wee will turne bastardly vnnaturall and disobedient children doe owe and must performe all dutie and obedience vnto it our most holy mother in Christ And to further this our bounden dutie the protestants of England in their Theater of the Emp. of greate Britante pag. 203 l. 6. c. 9. num 5. will helpe vs foreward whoe write in this maner That S. Peter the Apostle preached the word of life in this Iland as to other gentiles hee did for whome God had chosen him that from his mouth they might heare the ghospell as himselfe alleadgeth and that hee here founded churches and ordeined preists and deacons which is reported by Simon Metaphrastes out of the greek Antiquities and Gulielmus Eisingrenius in the first of his Centuries Therfore this beeing written by soe learned and holy a man as S. Simon Metaphrastes was and soe auntient aboue 700. yeares since and out of such monuments and Authorities of the Gretians as in his time were honored with the Title of Antiquities this alone might content vs in this matter as it hath already the best learned protestant Antiquaries of this nation But because allowance is giuen to the authoritie which cannot be denyed because it is the maner of Protestants to mynce authorities I will cite that holy auntient Father and Saint S. Sim. Metaphr 29. die Iunij in his owne wordes which bee these RomaÌ„ redijt ex qua venit Mediolanum Photicen quae sunt ciuitates in Continente In quibus cum constituisset Episcopos Presbyteros venit in Britanniam Quo in loco cum longo tempore fuisset moratus multas gentes non nominatas attraxisset ad fidem Christi angelicam aspexit visionem quae dicebat Petre instat tempus tua resolutionts oportet te ire Romam in qua cum mortem per crucem sustinueris recipies mercedem Iustitiae Cum ergo propterea Deum glorificasset egisset gratias apud Britannos mansisset dies aliquot verbo gratiae multos illuminasset ecclesias constituisset episcoposque presbyteros diaconos ordinasset duodecimo anno Caesaris Neronis rursus Romam reuertitur S. Peter by reuelation came to Hierusalem at the death of the mother of God then returning into Egipt by Africk came againe to Rome From whence hee came to Milane and Photice which bee cities in the contineÌ„t in which when hee had constituted Bishops and preists hee came into Britanie where when hee had stayed a longe time and drawne many nations not named to the faith of Christ hee had an Angelicall vision which saide ô Peter the time of thy Resolution is at hande and thou must goe to Rome in which when thou hast suffered death by the crosse thou shalt receaue the reward of lustice Therfore when hee had glorified God and giuen thankes for it and remayned some dayes with the Britans and illuminated manie with the word of grace and founded churches ordeyned both Bishops priests and deacons hee returned againe to Rome in the twelueth years of the Emperor Nero. Hitherto the very words of this learned Saint soe precisely and particularly describeing the tyme and comming of that glorious Apostle into this Iland staying here with his returne to Rome againe that as noe man except an infidell will or can deny it no Author of antiquitie or credit auouching halfe so much for either S Paul or any other Apostle to haue beene here at all soe except wee of EnglaÌ„d wil shew our selues the most vngratefull disobedient to that our first and most glorious Pastor and parent of all nations in the world except HierusaleÌ„ Antioch and Rome wee ar most engaged to honor and reuerence this most glorious Apostle his Successors in his holy Sec for neither Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia or Bythinia which hee himselfe particularly remembreth 1. Pet. 1. v. 1. nor any other kingdome or nation mentioned in any Author of credit and Antiquitie and to bee paralelled with him whom I haue cited approued euen in this point with all Catholicks and the moste iudicious indifferently mynded and best learned protestants can constantly affirme and proue that they had receaued such benefites and blessings from S. Peter as this our Britanie which to visitt hee went soe farr stayed therein soe longe and enritched as with soe many and vnansweareable graces and fauors continuinge them soe longe vntill he was admonished from heaueÌ„ to returne from hence to Rome as before his cominge thither hee also was as Metaphrastes die 29. Iunij S. Leo serm de Apostol with others write directed to come helpe vs in the west And if wee will follow the Roman tradition Baron annotat in 9. Maij in Pudente that Domus Pudentis erat primum hospitium S. Petri Romae the house of Pudens was the first lodging of S. Peter of Rome wee are more strictly bound to Rome and Rome to vs that beeinge the house of our renowned christian contrywoman Lady Claudia as our protestant writers tell vs. Matth. Parker antiq Britan. pag. 2.3 Godwyn Conuers of Britanie Cambd. in Britan. Theater of Brit. l. 6. Now lett vs enquire and sett downe
Quē cùm benedictione consecrassent ab eius oculis elapsisunt And yett neither S. Sampson nor any other tooke this for a reall consecration but onely figuratiue of that which was after to bee done by the holie externall rite of the church of Christ vntill as wee reade in the same history our holy Archbishop S. Dubricius vpon the apparition and message of an Angell did truely and really externally consecrate him a Bishop nec multo post Angelus Domini beato Dubricio apparens Sampsonem ordinari Episcopum praecepit Capgr supr Soe I might exemplifie in many such cases only propheticall and figuratiue what should afterward bee done and not what was then effected Therfore if S. Ioseph was a Bishop as that antiquitie persuadeth by that figuratiue vision not cōsecrated before hee came into Britanie as is shewed before wee reade of no other which at that time made consecrated Bishops but S Peter I may probably at the leaste affirme that S. Iosephe was one of them which S. Peter at his departure hēce S. Iosephe beeing certainely here at that time was consecrated Bishop by Saint Peter here in Britanie And when I finde both Catholicks and Protestants affirme Martyrol Angl. 7. die Februarij Drekin Almin an 1620. 7. Feb. with others that S. Angulus was our Bishop of London martyr and yet noe historiā Catholick or Protestāt putteth him in the nūber of them which were Bishops there after the time of K. Lucius but quite leaue him out of that catalogue as appeareth by our Protestants Harrison Godwyne Stowe others which with al diligēce they could haue collected the auncient Bishops of London I must needs drawe him to an higher time then that of kinge Lucius was before which noe consecration of Bishops in Britany was or is so memorable as this by S. Peter the Apostle Harris de script of Brit Godw. Catalog of Bishop in London 1. Stowe and Howe l. hist Lucius Iocelin of Furnes l. de Episc Brit. And to end here the Relation of S. Peters proceedings in Britanie wee haue clearly deduced with the allowance of our best English Protestant Antiquaries and other Authors by them approued That S. Peter Prince of the Apostles was our first Father in Christ and renowned Apostle both immediately by himselfe and his holy disciples That hee performed here all cheife and eminent pastorall duties and offices when our Emperors with our Lieutenants here as also all our Kings were pagan Infidels That hee ordeyned and consecrated for vs Bishops preists and other clergie men and founded churches to the honor Religion of Christ and the honor of his blessed Mother S. Mary the Virgin few other christian Saints then deceased as that of Glastenbury not soe dedicated without his approbation beeing cheife in such affaires Hee consecrated other Britans out of this nation exemptinge them from the pagan seruice of those such remembred princes hee sent them by authoritie to preach the ghospell in other contries hee or his disciples conuerted Pomponia Graecina the Lord Lieutenants wife of Britanie as these Protestants haue proued and many in the like case their husbands continuing in their infidelitie and contradiction and many husbands and children the wiues and parents not allowinge as seruants in respect of their Lords and masters and Subiects in regard of soueraignes I a Catholick Preist now demaund of the best learned Protestāts Bishops of England whether these proceedings and prerogatiues in that moste glorious Apostle and his worthie disciples our first Masters in Christ were not as greate and ample as the renowned Preists and Catholicks of this kingedome now attribute and giue to the Popes of Rome his Apostolicke Successors Wee whoe haue reade moste and suffered much for this cause cannot see the difference or finde instance of disparitie except in number of parsons lesse or greater quantities of groundes and some improportions in such thinges which make noe essentiall diuersitie for otherwise wee haue beene told by the best learned Protestants with others that S. Peter and his disciples did manifestlie and directly transfer and chaunge those parsons places and propertie of thinges of this our Britanie from a temporall to al spirituall vse from the commande except in temporall dutie of the present Emperors Lieutenants Kings and Soueraignes alienated from Christiā Religion to the cōmande of Christ his Religion our moste holy Apostle and his disciples by his authoritie soe directinge THE III. CHAPTER How in the rest of this first Hundred yeares of Christ after Saint Peter The Apostolicke See of Rome still continued and exercised this supreame spirituall power in Britanie IT is a question not onely amonge Catholicks but some Protestants also whether S. Linus Cletus were Popes after S. Peter or onely Suffragan Bishops as soe ordeyned by him at the first And Pope Leo the second an holy Saint with there nowned of our Historians to omitt others S. Marianus Florentius Wigorniensis say plainely Si Petrus Apostolorum princeps adiutoris sibi asciuit Linum Cletum non tamen pontificij potestatem cis tradidit sed Clementi successori suo If Peter Prince of the Apostles did take Linus and Cletus to bee his Adiutors yett hee gaue not them the Papall power but to Clement his successor And Linus and Cletus did nothinge by their owne Lawes and power as popes but only soe much as was commaunded them by S. Peter S. Leo 2. in epist. decretal Marian. Scot. lib. 2. aetat 6. Florent Wigor in Siluan Otho Consul Robert Barns in vit Port. Rom. in Linum Therfore to omitt doubtfull and vncertaine thinges and to come next to S. Clement whoe moste certainely by all Cathololicks and Protestants was Pope of Rome nominated by S. Peter though Baronius and others whom he alleageth are of opinion that S. Clement yeelded his right and did not exercise the office of supreame pastour til after Linus and Cletus yet who in S. Peters life him were his Coadiutors after his death his successors before S. Clemēt to 1. Annal. p. 742.743.744.745 before any other by this Pope Doctors were sent into the west as our Protestants tell vs Margin annot vppon Matth. Westin an 94. Matth. Westm supr in greate numbers as S. Denis Nicasius Taurinus Trophimus Paulus Narbonensis Saturninus Martialis Gratianus Iulianus Lucianus Firminus Photinus all Bishops they add S. Regulus Whome although they setle thē with their Bishopricks in Fraunce yett it proueth the power spirituall commaund of that holy pope to haue extended it selfe aswell to this kingdome one and the same reason beeing for and against them both But wee finde diuers Authorities both late and auncient to induce vs to consent that some of these named holy Bishops sent at this time by S. Clement were sent by him into this kingdome of Britanie namely S. Taurinus and S. Nicasius and that S. Taurinus was Archbishop or Bishop of yorke Amonge others William Harrison a Protestant historian In descript of Britanie
and his company for a Protestāt Bishop according to the truth of histories writeth Godwyn conuers of Brit. pag. 16. c. 3. It seemeth that Ioseph and his fellowes preuayled little by their preaching and therefore gaue themselues at last vnto a monasticall and solitary life in the Iland of Aualon And euen their memorie was soe much forgotten when kinge Lucius was conuerted that as our best antiquities wee haue of that matter tel vs those which S. Eleutherius sent from Rome found the best information of them at Rome their auncient howse or church was foe desolat that it was become Latibulū Ferarum a den for wyld beasts at their cominge hither Antiquit. Glaston apud Capgrau in S. Ioseph Aramath in S Patr. I finde in histories no others from whom wee haue the leaste probabilitie to clayme a continuaunce in Religion therefore it must needs bee from Rome from whence alsoe wee had amonge these holy men some Bishops to continue a succession from thence For although S. Beatus was but lately deade liuing vnto this yeare 110. it is not vnlikely but his companion was still liuinge and except there were twoe of that name and in those times and the same contrie which no history doth remember S. Mansuetus was yet a liue and longe after vntil wee had manie other Bishops sent from Rome or consecrated here by the Romane authoritie in the time of this Kinge Lucius For wee reade in the Annals and Catalogue of the Archbishops of Treuers neare vnto Tullum that in the yeare 160. S. Mansuetus was Bishop there Mansuetus qui huic nomini vocationi suae vita proba anno Domini 160. optime respondit The seuenth Archbishop of Treuers was Mansuetus whoe by his godly life did excellently answeare this his name to bee meeke and his vocation in the yeare of Christ 160. Annales Arch. Treuer Petrus Merssaeus Catal. Arch. Treuer Which by noe historye I can finde was or could bee any other but Saint Mansuetus our contryman spoken of before both the name time and place soe neare vnto Tullum where hee was first Bishopp alloweinge it and nothinge impugninge it And amonge those Bishops here in Britanie and of our owne nation I finde two named beinge both consecrated and sent hither by the Authoritie of the See of Rome one of them S. Tymotheus sonne to our holy contryman Saint Marcellus or by some Marcellinus a Britanne borne and a Bishop here and after Bishop of the Tungers and lastely Archbishop of Treuers both which preached here in the time of Kinge Lucius longe before his conuersion and at or before this time and were instruments of his happy conuersion actually and parsonallye concurringe therto by mission and Authoritie from the Popes of Rome of which I haue made more lardge and ample relation in other places for this purpose soe many Authors here cited will suffice both Catholicks and Protestants consentinge that S. Tymothie and S. Marcellus or Marcellinus preached here in the time of kinge Lucius and before his conuersion Petrus de Natalib lib. 1. cap. 24. Harris Tom. 2. Magdeb. centur 2. Annal. Eccles Cur. Io Stumph in Rhetia Petrus Merssaeus in catalog Archiep· Treuer in Archiep. 20. Anton. Democh. l. 2. de Miss cont Caluin Gulielus Eisengren centen 2. part 4. distinct 7. Petr. Merss in Archiep. Treuer And that this S. Tymothie could not bee Saint Tymothie Bishop of Ephesus S. Pauls Scholler to whome hee wrote the Epistles whoe was martyred many yeares before Kinge Lucius was borne and S. Onesimus was his Successor in S. Ignatius time as hee himselfe is witnesse Epist ad Ephes But onely S. Tymothie our blessed contryman by his mother S. Claudia Martyrol Rom. die 20. Iunij and a child baptized by the Apostles and thereupon called their disciple whoe was owner of the house in Rome where S. Peter by the Roman tradition first entertayned there and of S. Tymothie the Lord thereof in his time named Thermae Timothinae the Bathes of Tymotheus Act. 5. Iustini Philosoph Baron annot in 20. Iunij in S. Nouato which hee forsooke for the loue of God and this his nation soe soone that by Pope Pius the first martyred in the yeare 154. his said house was cōsecrated a church hee himselfe beeing then in all probabilitie preaching in this Iland as so many Authorities cited doe warrant The historie of S. Marcellus or Marcellinus both to haue beene a Britane a Bishop and to haue preached here longe before S. Linus was conuerted that hee persuaded him to bee a Christian and after went into Germany and returned from thence into Britanie againe sent with others from Pope Eleutherius to conuert kinge Lucius this kingdome as they did is an vndoubted veritie acknowledged by all that write of that matter And therefore our Protestāts of England freely graunt vs in these wordes Euen from the dayes of those godlie men whoe first taught the Britans the ghospell there remayned amonge the same Britans some Christians which ceased not to teach and preach the word of God most sincerely vnto them But yett noe kinge amongst thē openly professed that Religion till at length this Lucius perceauinge not onely some of the Roman Lieutenants in Britanie as Trebellius and Pertinax with others to haue submitted themselues to that profession but alsoe the Emperor himselfe to begin to bee fauorable to them that professed it And then hee setteth downe how kinge Lucius sent to Pope Eleutherius to bee instructed in and receaue the faith of Christ and in like maner is the Relatiō of other Protestāts Holinsh. histor of England lib. 4. cap. 19. Math. Park Antiquit Britan. pag. 4.5 Ioh. Goscelius in histor Manuscript Bal. l. 2. de actibus Pontif. in Gregor 1. l. de Scriptor cent 1. in August Dirnoth Godwyn Conuers Powel annot in l. 2. Girald Cambr. c. 1. Foxe to 2. Act. pag. 463. Fulke Ans to count Cath. pag. 40. Middlet papist am pag. 202. Stowe Holinsh. c. Then if by these men there stil continued a succession of true preachers in Britanie from the Apostles time Protestant Articl of Religion Bils Whitgift Barlow Bridges Downam Hookeer Couel others against puritans Which the puclick Protestant Religion denieth to bee without true Bishops to consecrate such preists and preachers and the Romane Luietenants themselues and christians and soe consequently as the greatnes of their state and necessitie of the church here required had Bishops and rather from Rome beeing themselues Romans And I haue exemplified in soe many Bishops consecrated and sent hither by S. Peter and his holy successors Popes of Rome and not any one Instance can bee giuen of any one Bishop or preist in all this time sent or consecrated by any others wee must needes leaue that prerogatiue to Rome and honor to Britanie to haue had the holy Bishops and pastors of this church from thence And that Apostolicke See to haue ruled here in spirituall things as these Protestants haue freely acknowledged
in the holy Popes S. Anacletus Euaristus and S. Alexander allready Rob. Barns in vit Pontific in nominibus citat Downam lib. 1. of Antichrist cap. 3. pag. 35. And soe they teach that al the following Popes vnto S. Eleutherius to witt S. Sixtus the first Telesphorus Higinius Pius and Anicetus the immediate predecessor to Eleutherius tooke vppon them generally the supreamacy and highest commanding power in all spirituall things and all places without exception or limitation S. Sixtus gaue authoritie to appeale to the Popes of Rome from all Bishops Ab Episcopo ad Romanum Pontificem appellandi Ius dedit ecclesiasticis ministris Barnes supra in Sixto Saint Telesphorus prescribed generally the fast of Lent in Telesphoro Published the maner or order of Masse and made a decree as supreame Iudge howe all suites and controuersies should be tryed and decided Saint Higinius made a lawe byndinge all Bishops Metrapolitans and the whole cleargie in Higinio S. Pius dedicated the howle of our renowned contry womaÌ„ S. Pudentiana in Rome to bee a church in Pio made general decrees for the holy sacrifice of the Masse binding all Priests Bishops Declared it to bee sacriledge in all people whomsoeuer which coÌ„uerted laÌ„ds or goods dedicated to Religion to prophane vses Appointed the age of virgins to bee consecrated Hee decreed that matters apperteyning to Religion should bee heard in prouinciall councells of Bishops reseruinge the authoritie of the Pope of Rome and appeales to him Quae ad Religionem spectant à suae Synodis audienda esse statuit salua tamen pontificiae authoritate Idem in vit Pont. in Aniceto S. Anicetus the next before S. Eleutherius made or renewed the decree how both Bishops and Metropolitans were to bee ordeyned That an Archbishop was to bee accused before the Pope of Rome That noe Archbishops should bee called primates except that prerogatiue of name were graunted him from the Pope of Rome Archiepiscopos non primates appellandos nisi ista praerogatiua nomenclaturae ei à Roâ—…ano Pontifice coâ—…e deretur Wherfore these Popes beeing by all Protestants holy Saints and Martyrs and the church of Rome then by his maiestie and al other learned men of the Protestant profession our mother church the true churche commandinge church most high Apostolicque church and these their decrees vniuersal and generall comprehending all and excluding none either in Britanie or any other nation except wee will bee willfully headstronge in disobedience wee must needs acknowledge that this kingdome from S. Peters first preachinge here vnto the generall conuersion thereof in the time of Pope Eleutherius of which sufficiently in the next chapter euer was and did acknowledge it selfe subiect in spirituall thinges to the holy Apostolicke See of Rome And this in particular alsoe proued by soe many auncient and approued Authors historians and others that entreate of this subiect shewinge how often the Popes of Rome in these remembred dayes sent preachers hither and the Britans likewise acknowledginge euer that See for the cheifest and supreame sent thither though soe far distant hence to haue preachers and Instructors to bee sent hither by the highest papall power there I will insist in Protestants relation for this busines They tell vs that S. Bede the old chronicle of LaÌ„daffe Goceline in the life of S. Augustine cap. 31. historiae maioris the old chronicle called Brutus Ioannes Nauclerus an old manuscript history which the ProtestaÌ„t Bishop Godwyn saith hee had in latine say that many preachers were sent hither froÌ„ the Pope of Rome in the yeare of Christ 156. when S. Pius was Pope and I haue read a very old manuscript testifyinge that king Lucius did in that yeare send legats to the Pope of Rome to that purpose An epistle written from the Pope of Rome to the kinge of Britanie dated in the yeare 159. found amonge the old constitutions of this lande and in the old chronicle called Brutus which the Protestant Bishop Bridges saith hee had seene saith there was the like sendinge in or about that time Mennius as these men tell vs affirmeth as much of the yeare 164. soe doth an other auncient chronicle which Godwin citeth William of Malmesbury hath the same of the next yeare 165. S. Edwards lawes say soe of the yeare 167. Henry of Hardford hath the life of the yeare 169. Marianus Scotus published by our ProtestaÌ„ts so writeth of the yeare 177. The Protestant Bishopp Bale hath so of the yeare 179. Polydor Vergil the history of Rochester Matthew of Westminster and Martinus Polonus by ProtestaÌ„ts soe say of the yeare 188. Therefore to saue the creditt of these and many others soe auncient and allowed by Protestants wee must needes by their leaue and allowance say alsoe that this our kingedome in those daies depended vppon the See of Rome in Religious affaires And thus much of this matter before our generall conuersion in the time of Kinge Lucius Io. Caius antiq Cantabrig lib. 1. pag. 109.110.111 Godwin conuers of Britannie p. 21.22 Holinsh. hist of King Lucius Theater of Brit. lib. 6. M. S. pr. gloriosi ac Deo dilecti in S. Dubritio Matth. Westm. an 154. Godwyn Conuers pa. 29.30 Stow hist in Lucius Caius supr pag. 100. Godw. Conuers pag. 29.20.22 Mason booke of consecrat in Lucius Will. Lambard lib. de leg Reg. fol. 130. pag. 2. Godwyn Conuers pag. 22. THE V. CHAPTER How in the generall Conuersion of this kingedome in the time of Kinge Lucius all spirituall thinges were ordered settled and confirmed here by the Popes Authoritie AT the time when our Kinge Lucius this kingedome was generally conuerted there were as these Protestants haue proued or graunted before diuers Bishops and Preists in England wee had many vniuersities as Cambrige Stamford Greekelade Bellisium Oxford and others as our Protestants contend and diuers learned men in them our next and neighbouringe contries Fraunce the hither parts of Germany Lorraine Heluetia and all Italie euen vnto Rome it selfe scituated in the further part thereof were full of Bishops preists and learned cleargie Ioh. Lidgate in Cant. Caius antiq cont Brian Twin antiquit Oxon. Harrison descript of Brit. Cambd. in Britan Harding histor l. 1. c. 15. Ioh. Bal. in praefat ad l. de scriptor c. And yett Kinge Lucius and his nobles now resolued to receaue the faith of Christ could finde noe center to rest their holy desires of soe happy a chaunge vntill they arriued at the Apostolicke See from whence this nation from the first originall of christianitie here euer receaued instructors and instruction And to obteyne this his soe heauenly purpose this Renowned kinge with applause of his nobilitie did not send one onely Messadge Ambassadge or epistle and at one time to that end but as our best antiquities say Epistolas suas Eleutherio Papae direxit Epist Eleuther ad Luc. leg S. Eduardi apud Lumb Calfrid Monum l. 5. cap. 19. Pont. Virun l. 4. Matth. Westm an 185.186
by this holy Pope was not confined in and with his proceedinges with this kingedome soe happily conuerted to the faith by him but to shew himselfe by these Protestants as his his holy predecessors before haue beene proued by the same allowance to bee the supreame and highest commaunder and gouernor of the church of Christ in all places on earthe hee generally proceeded accordingly makinge and ordeyninge decrees for all parsons and places and times as these Protestants thus assure vs. Robert Barnes in vit Pontif. Rom. in Eleutherio Hoc tempore Lucius Britanniae Rex Christiano caetui cum suis subditis adiungi à Poâ—…fice petijt per literas In this time of Pope Eleutherius Lucius Kinge of Britanie desired of the Pope by his letters that hee and his subiects might bee ioyned to the Christian companie as though S. Eleutherius then Pope by power of that nam place had such power ouer the whole company of Christians that none that is a kinge or greate prince on whose publick conuersion together with his people so manie matters requiring the consent and confirmation of the highest Pastor supreame Iurisdiction depended might bee admitted to bee a Christian without the Popes Approbation And to confirme this highest power spirituall in him as in his predecessors before they further tell vs. Rob. Barns supr That generally in the cases of Bishops which is the greatest hee decreed that nothing should bee defined in their cases but by the Pope himselfe Accusationem contra Episcopos intentatam Episcopos audire permisit sed vt nihil nisi apud Pontificem definiretur cauet And againe that any preist might appeale from his Bishop to the Pope of Rome if the sinceritie of the other iudge his Bishops was suspected Vt nemo Clericum accusatores pertraheret ad alterius dioecesis Episcopum sed accusaret euÌ„ apud suum Episcopum Sivero Iudex Glerico suspectus esset appellandi facultatem dedit Reo Where hee euidently by these Protestants maketh himselfe his Successors in the See Apostolick of Rome supreame Iudge in spiritual thinges and reserueth appeales to them in such affaires from all other Iudges THE VI. CHAPTER How this moste renowned Pope Eleutherius did by these Protestants and antiquities allovved by them clayme exercise and settle here for him and his Successors as ample prerogatiue and Iurisdiction as Catholicke Scholes doe and Catholicques may giue to Popes ANd because there is greate difference betweene Catholicks and Protestants concerninge some priuiledges which the former commonly yeeld and the second as vsually in England denye vnto him and eyther of them would bee thought to reuerence and embrace the opinion and practise of that blessed Pope Eleutherius and those vnspotted times especially as they are interpreted by themselues lett vs now take counsaile and aduise of these ProtestaÌ„ts their persecutors in this kinde whether this moste blessed Pope Eleutherius whoe soe conuerted this nation and was soe blessed and worthie a Saint with these men was not by their Iudgements and testimonies as far ingaged in this matter as Pope Gregorie the fifteenth of that name now is or Kinge Lucius that holy kinge and Saint the holy Bishops and cleargie and all the Christians of this land at that tyme did not giue to the Popes of Rome then as much in this kinde as anie English preist or Catholicke now doth and by the present Roman Religion may giue and allowe to this present Pope or any other This is euidently proued and inuincibly made manifest vnto vs before not onely by soe many our best Antiquities but generallie by the best learned English Protestant historians iointly and with an vniforme consent agreeing in this that at the settlinge of manie Archbishops and Bishops in this Iland by the highest Papall power of Saint Eleutherius by the same alsoe the whole kingedome of Scotland with the Northern Ilands were made subiect to the Archbishopp of Yorke in spirituall thinges as I haue proued before by the best historians Catholicks Protestants which haue written of this matter Which alsoe agree that these kingedomes were at that time longe before and vntill the vnion of them by our present Soueraigne kinge Iames not onely distinct and diuers kingedomes vnder diuers kinges lawes and gouernments but ordinarily as then they were at open warres and hostilitie in ciuill and temporall respects Therfore it was neyther Kinge Lucius whoe to vse the words of Hector Boethius Scator histor l. 5 fol. 83. Godwyn conuers of Britanie pag. 22.23 aggreing with our English Protestants and others in this was but a kinge by curtesie of the Romane Emperors and their Authoritie Lucius Britonibus Caesaris beneuolentia authoritate imperitabat Therefore hee neyther had nor possibly could haue his power and principalitie extended further then that of the Romans was which went noe further then the wall of Adrian which diuided the kingedomes makinge Scotland a distinct kingedome and neuer subiect to the Roman Emperors Which could not allowe to kinge Lucius more then they were Lords and Masters of themselues for accordinge to that lawe maxime vsed by manie Protestants and a grownde in the lawe and light of nature it selfe Nemo potest plus Iuris in alium transferre quà m ipse habet Noe man can giue more power to another then hee himselfe hath For soe hee should giue that which hee hath noe right or power to giue beeinge a thinge vnpossible Therefore kinge Lucius nor the Roman Emperors hauinge any power or right at all spirituall or temporall ouer the Scots or Britans or any people then dwellinge beyond that Wall in the kingedome now called Scotland they could not by any possibilitie giue such spirituall power to the Archbishop of Yorke to commaund in that contrie nor commaund the inhabitants of Scotland in noe respect subiect vnto them to bee subiect to the Bishop of Yorke their subiect in temporall respects Neither did would or could the kings of Scotland then pagans subiect and submitt their people and contry to the Archbishop of yorke of an other kingdome now enemy to them both in spirituall and temporall respects And it is directly against all Protestants professions confessions or churches that any Protestant Prince or other whosoeuer clayminge or pretending supreame spirituall Iurisdiction among them should challendge or presume to extend it further then their temporall ditions and Gouernments as is euident in all places where the new Religion is admitted as England the Lowe contries the cantons of Switserland and the rest where the spirituall Iurisdiction which they claime is limited and confined within the circuites of their temporall Dominions without any further progresse Parlam 1. Elizab. 1. Iacob Scotic Confessiones Heluet. Gallic Saxonia Belgic Therefore this highest supreame directing spirituall power which established at that time and longe after the subordination and subiection of Scotland and the Ilands to the Archbishop of Yorke must needs by these Protestants and all Antiquities bee onely peculiar to the Pope
destinauit coronam benedictam Britanniae christianitatem Deo inspirante Lucio Regi Britonum The kinge of right ought with all integritie and without diminution obserue and defende all lands and honors all dignities and Rights and liberties of the crowne of this kingedome wholly and call backe againe al the Rights of the kingdome that bee dispersed dilapidated loste with all his power vnto their auncient and due state And the whole and all the Land and the Ilands euen to Norway and Denmarke doe belonge to the crowne of his kingdome and at of the Appendicies and dignities of the kinge and it is one monarchie and one kingedome and it was anciently called the kingedome of Britanie now is called the kingedome of the English men for our Lord the Pope Eleutherius did by his sentence cōstitute and appointe such limites and boundes to the crowne of the kingedome first sending by the inspiration of God a hallowed crowne and Christianitie to Britanie to Kinge Lucius Hitherto this soe auncient publicke authoritie and antiquitie now seeing all writers Catholicks and Protestāts agree that both S. Eleutherius which made this declaration and confirmation of soe manie Ilands and Rights and Kinge Lucius which accepted it was in the like degree and all our kings soe many hundred yeares after many of them holy Saints which by this declaration esteemed these territories to bee their owne to keepe them all or any of them declarer or receauers from horrible and damnable vsurpation as of necessitie by these Protestants wee must doe what way is there to end this difficultie except wee allowe of the Popes Authoritie in such a declaration But to yeeld a greater and more auncient honor and priuiledge to this kingedome and the kings thereof then many Protestants enemies to our Brittish Antiquities will allowe vnto it not onely to comprehend al these Northren Ilands vnto Norway vnder the name of Insulae Britannicae the Brittish or Britons Iland But that the kingedome of Denmarke was subiect and tributary to Britanie diuers hundreds of yeares before Christ and soe consequently the adiacent Ilands which by Ius gentium belonged to the Continent next adioyninge wee shall by this exempt this kingdome from receauing any thinge by a free donation from Pope Eleutherius in this kinde claiminge by this that hee only adiudged the old Right and Title of Britanie to bee true and lawfull in this case not giuing any new prerogatiue by that confirmation Yett this will not exempt either kinge Lucius from embracinge or Pope Eleutherius from assigning and confirminge that diuision and preferringe the Title of kinge Lucius before the Scots and others which by their histories had then enioyed longe time diuers of those Ilands and soe wee must still acknowledge that both Eleutherius the Pope and kinge Lucius then thought the decision of such things did in some respect in conscience belonge to that See Apostolick otherwise neither would the one haue made it or the other sought for or accepted it in that maner both of them beeing worthie and renowned Saints in the church of Christ M. S. pr. Regnum Britanniae in Gurguntio Ioh. Rom. apud Stowe in cod Stowe and Howes histor in Gurg an ante Christ 375. Ioh. Lydgate in Cantab. Ioh. Harding Chron. c. 34. fol. 29.30 Caius antiq Cantab l. 1. Matth. Westm. aetat 5. c. 5. Hect. Boeth hist. Scot. Giral Cāb ap Stow. supr And into the same laborinth we fal by these men denying power in the Pope of Rome to giue pardōs or Indulgences to mitigate or release the punishments of sinnes if wee should harken vnto them for they greately commend vnto vs the Epistle ascribed to S. Patrick the Irish Apostle in the antiquities of Gastenbury to bee of greate authoritie and yett in this wee reade Quod sanctus Phaganus Deruuianus ab Eleutherio Papa qui cos miserat decē annos Indulgentiae impetrarunt That S. Phaganus and Deruuianus obteyned of Pope Eleutherius that sent them ten yeares of Indulgence for the pilgryms visiting that holie place a greater power in the Pope then the other by these Protestants And thus much of this hundred yeares Theater of great Britanie lib. 6. Godwyn Conuers of Britanie cap. 2. pag. 10. Ioh. Leland in Assert Arthur Antiquitat Glaston in tabula lignea Capgrau in Catal. in S. Patricio M.S. Antiq. in eodem THE THIRD CENTVRIE OR HVNDRED YEARE THE VII CHAPTER How the Popes of Rome in this third Centurie or hundred of years alsoe by our Protestants and others ruled and gouerned here in Britante in spirituall things by their supreame power therein NOw hauing ended this second hundred yeare when there was soe generall an acceptance of this highest papall Authoritie in Britanie by the kinge his Nobles three Archbishops soe many other Bishops and the noble cleargie and others here wee may bee more breife in ages followinge for it is a common consent of the Protestant writers of England that the same faith and Religion in all materiall points such as this is continued firme and inuiolable here at the least vntill the cominge of S. Augustine hither in the later end of the sixt hundred yeare And it is a veritie granted by all followinge S. Bede susceptam fidem Britanni vsque in tempora Diocletiani Principis inuiolatum integrumque quieta in pace seruabant The Britans kept the faith which they receaued in the time of kinge Lucius inuiolable and whole in quiet peace vntill the times of Diocletian Bed hist eccles l. 1. c. 4. Whoe did not begin his Empire vntill the yeare 285. his persecution longe time after about the yeare 296. And no man can thinke but amōge soe many Archbishops Bishops and cleargie men which together with the whole christian Religion embraced the papall power liued and gouerned the church of Britanie here many yeares in this age in the same maner and order as it was commended vnto them by the Romane supreame spirituall Authoritie of S. Eleutherius and his Apostolicke Legates Therefore to bee breife the next Pope which was in the beginning of this hundred yeare Scotland as hereafter a greate portion of this Iland and then a distinct greate and inuincible kingedome vnto the most powerable Romane Emperors was conuerted to the faith of Christ The very name of this holy Pope and Martyr carieth spirituall supreamacy with it in all the Christian world Asia Africk and Europe by the mouthes and pennes of all Protestants and others A Protestant Bishop for all shall answere in these words Pope Victor excommunicated all churches both greeke and latine which differed from his church in the obseruation of Easter Morton appeale l. 1. cap. 9. Which noe man can question but it was the highest act to haue and exercise such power ouer all churches and yett moste iustly and lawfully and hee a blessed man which both a Protestant Archbishopp and his maiestie kinge Iames shal testifie for all The church of Rome was then
a Rule to all saith our Kinge Kinge Iames in parlam The other saith Victor was a godly Bishop and a martyr and the church at that time was in greate puritie not beeinge longe after the Apostles times Whitgift Answ. to the admonition p. 80. sect 4. Wherfore Kinge Donalde of Scotland now moued by the example of Kinge Lucius his neighbouring Sociate in terrene principalitie and his whole kingedome and beeing assured by this supreame power spirituall exercised by S. Victor ouer all churches that it was his right and the surest waye in time of controuersies as that was in the obseruation of Easter to adhere vnto the cheife and commandinge church of Rome hee sent to this holy Pope to bee instructed in the faith of Christ a longe paineful troublesome iorney labour on both sides soe many Bishops now beeing in Britanie Fraunce and in all places betweene Scotland and Rome if kinges kingedomes could haue beene conuerted to the faith of Christ and matters of the church with them ordered without his direction or confirmation For as truely write the Scottish historians Pope Victor sent preists in extremam Albionem to the vttermoste part of Albion or the vttermoste Albion to preach the doctrine of Christ Hector Boeth l. 5. Scot. histor fol. 89. p. 2. Boeth supr p. 1. Buchan Rer. Scotic l. 4. Reg. 27. Holinsh. histor of Scotl. in Donald Ed. Grymst p. 20. in Scotl. § 17. the narration whereof is this Talem dederat Donaldo Regi animum pacis Princeps author Christus Dominus quod verae pietati aspernato malorum demonum cultu sese paulò ante addixerat Nam Seuero Imperante Romanis apud Victorem Pontificem maximum qui quintusdecimus post Petrum Ecclesiae praefuit per legatos obtinuit vt viri doctrina Religione insignes in Scotiam ab eo missi se cum liberis coniuge Christi nomen profitentes baptismate insignirent Regis exempla Scotica nobilitas sequuta auersata impietatem Christique Religionem complexa sacro fonte est abluta Fuit annus ille quo Scoti ad lumen verae pietatis Dei Optimi Maximi benignitate vocati sunt recepti ab eo qui primus fuit humanae salutis tertius supra ducēte simum à Scotorum Regni institutione quingentesimus tricesimus tertius Christ our Lord prince and Author of peace gaue such minde to kinge Donald that castinge aside the worship of wicked deuils hee had a litle before addicted himselfe to true pietie For when Seuerus was the Romane Emperor hee obteyned of Pope Victor the fifteenth after S. Peter that ruled the church that men renowned for learninge and Religion sent from him into Scotland might baptise him with his wife and children professinge Christ The Scottish nobilitie followeinge the example of the kinge forsakinge impiety and embracing the Religiō of Christ was baptized This was in the yeare of the Incarnation of Christ two hundred and three and from the beginninge of the kingdome of the Scots fiue hundred thirtie and three And a little after speakinge of the renowned leardned Christians of that time hee addeth Incipere nostri tum primum sacras colere literas Sacerdotibus praeceptoribus quos Victor Pontifex Maximus ad Christi dogma propalandum in extremam miserat Albionem At that time our Scottish men first began to study diuinitie hauinge for their Tutors those preists which Pope Victor sent to teach the Religion of Christ in Albion the vttermost country in this part of the world And againe nostri qua fide pietate instituti semel fuerunt hactenus erroribus aspernatis perseuerant Our contrimen of Scotlād perseuer at this day it was written in the yeare 1526. in the faith and pietie wherein they were then instructed Hector Boeth in fine praefat Bal. centur 5. in Hector Boeth And a Protestant of England in the yeare 1615. writteh Scotland receyued the faith in the time of Pope Victor the first in the yeare 203. Celestin the first sent Palladius thither to roote out the Pelagian heresie which began to increase there vnder Eugenius the second whoe died in the yeare 460. since this time the Realme continued longe in the profession of the Romish church vntill these later dayes Edward Grimston Booke of Estates pag. 20. cap. 17. Hee meaneth the dayes of this our Soueraigne kinge Iames the first of England and sixt of that kingedome Therfore it is a thinge without question that this holy Pope soe earnest for the spirituall supreamacie of his Apostolicke See settled it with other doctrines in this Iland where with the rest it still continued vntill these times as these Protestants haue declared Which is euident by all histories not any one affirminge but rather denyinge that hee altered anie thinge of that constitution of Pope Eleutherius submittinge the whole nation of Scotlande to the Archbishopp of Yorke in spirituall affaires And if kinge Donald and the nobilitie of Scotland then had not beene assured that this supreame spirituall power in disposinge and orderinge church matters in such cases had belonged onely to the Popes of Rome of all people and places in the world they would not haue appealed to Rome for those thinges at that time in the Empire of Seuerus when aboue all others there was the greatest enmytie and warrs betweene the Romans and Scots that euer were testified by all their histories Bed l. 1. histor c. 5. Hect. Boeth lib. 5. Scot. hist Bucan Rer. Scotic l 4. Holinsh. hist. of Scotl. in Seuerus In an other point alsoe wee are assured that S. Victor whoe had by his highest authoritie excōmunicated soe many churches both greeke and latine as these Protestants haue told vs before for their wronge keepinge of Easter settled the right obseruatiō thereof in Scotland at this time For to speake in Protestants wordes of this Pope Hee confirmed the ordinance of Pius touching the celebration of Easter vppon the Sonday Soe did Pope Eleutherius before him and soe consequently alsoe amonge other Christian doctrines by his legates taught and deliuered it here in Britanie And wee are taught by these learned Protestants that in the first generall councell of Nice De obseruatione Paschae antiquus canon sancitus est ne porro in hac re Ecclesiae variarent The old canon of the obseruation of Easter was decreed least the churches should afterward differ about it Ed. Grymstonp· 436. in Victor Rob. Barnes in vit Pont. Rom. in Victor Bal. lib. 1. de act prat in eod Magdeburg centur 3. in Eleuther Damas in Eleuther Barns iu Siluestro Magdeburg cent 4. And that wee had Brittish Bishops there which consented to this decree and receaued it for Britany they testifie in these termes Theater of greate Britanie l 6. cap. 9 pag. 206 n. 19. The Britannes continued constant in christianitie and the censures of their Bishops for the greate estimation of their constancie pietie and learninge were required and approued in greate
Bishops into Britanie onely to suppresse the pelagian heresy but to supply the spiritual wants in this kingdome this Protestant Bishop and greatest enemy to the See of Rome will tell vs more plentifully where hee describeth that holy Pope and his doctrine in this maner Balaeus l. 2. de act Pontif. Rom. in Coelestino Robert Barns in vit Pont. in Coelestino Caelestinus Campanus Introitum graduale Responsorium tractum offertorium papisticae missae inseruit atque vt Sacerdotes pontificum Canones scireÌ„t aâ—…è praecepit Germanum in Britanniam Palladium in Scotiam Patricium cum quodam Segetio in Hiberniam vt pelagianas haereses extirparent Episcopos misit obijtque anno Christi 435. Confessorum numero asscriptus Pope Celestine borne in Campania did put to the Papisticall masse the introite graduale responsorie tract and offertorie and streightly commanded that preists should knowe the canons of the Popes hee sent Bishops Germanus into Britanie Palladius into Scotland and Patricke with one called Segetius into Ireland to roote out the Pelagian heresies And hee died in the yeare of Christ 435. in the number of Confessors An other interpretinge this addition hee made to the masse saith Barns supr In initio sacrificij vt Psalmus Iudica me Deus discerne causam meam c. à sacrificaturo diceretur ordinauit Graduale in missa ordinauit vt Sacerdotes canones sacros tenerent praecepit Pope Celestine ordeyned that in the beginninge of the sacrifice when a preist was to sacrifice hee should say the psalme which beginneth Iudge mee o God and discerne my cause c. hee did order the graduale in the Masse coÌ„maunded that preists should vnderstand or keepe the holy canons as before And the Protestant Archbishopp Whitgift Whitg Answere to the Admonition pag. 44. sect 1.2 Speaking of this holie Pope writeth Celestine was a godly Bishop and the church of Rome at that time had the substance of the Sacraments accordinge to gods word neither was there any superstition mixed with them the Introite that hee appointed was one of the psalmes The like hath Master Foxe Foxe tom 2. in Queene Mary pag. 1401. whoe affirmeth this vse of a psalme before the Masse was vsed longe before in the Greeke church And it is the common opinion of our English ProtestaÌ„ts their Bishops Antiquaries and doctors that the Religion which these holy Legats of Rome SS Germanus and Lupus taught here was in all things veritatis praedicatio doctrina sincera sincerissima purus Dei cultus qualis ab Apostolis mandato diuino Christianorum Ecclesiis traditus erat The preaching of truth sincere doctrine moste sincere doctrine the pure worship of God such as by the commandement of God was by the Apostles deliuered to the churches of Christians and soe it continued here in this puritie longe after Matth. Parker Antiq. Britan pag. 6.45.46 Goscelin histor Bal. l. 2. de act Pontif. Rom. in Greg. 1. l. de Script centur 1. in August Dionatho Godvvyn Conuers of Brit. Povvel in annot in lib. Girald Cambr. de Itinerar Cambr. c. 1. Foxe pag. 463. edit an an 1576. Fulk Answ. to a count Cathol pag. 40. Midleton Papistam pag. 202. Stovve histor in Ethelb Holinsh. histor of Engl. cap. 21. pag. 102. Therefore wee may not now make any doubt of any thinge done here by these holy Bishops by power from the Pope either in causinge the decrees and canons of the Popes soe much dignifyinge the highest spirituall power in the See of Rome generally to bee vsed and receaued here by all preists and cleargie men as this holy Pope had commanded nor in consecratinge Bishops and Archbishops with limitation of their Iurisdictions and the like but they were moste Iustely and religiously performed Matth. West an 446. Matth. Park antiq Brit. Holinsh hist. of Engl. Sigibert an 428. Stowe and Howes histor· in Theodosius Bal. centur 1. in Leporio Agricola And yett besides their powerable and authoritatiue condemninge of the Pelagian heresies here together with the Timothean Hereticks they ordeyned and consecrated soe many Bishops in this nation that some writers amonge Protestants Godvvin Conuers of Britanie pag. 25. are of opinion their number was greater then of those that were consecrated here in the time of Kinge Lucius amonge whome a Protestant Bishop writteth in this maner I cannot but rest persuaded that our Britanie had very few Bishops vntill the cominge ouer of Germanus and Lupus to suppresse the Pelagian Heresie concerninge which matter I thinke it not amisse to offer vnto the Reader what I finde in our history of Landaff Postquam praedicti Seniores Sanctus Germanus Episcopus Lupus Pelagianam heresim extirpauerant Episcopos pluribus in locis Britanniae consecrauerunt Super omnes autem Britannos dextralis partis Britanniae beatum Dubricium summum Doctorem à Rege ab omni parochia electum Archiepiscopum consecrauerunt Hac dignitate ei à Germano Lupo data constituerunt ei episcopalem sedem concessu Mâ—…nrici Regis Principum Cleri populi apud podium Lantaui in honore S. Petri Apostoli fundatam cum finibus istis c. Which thus hee englisheth After the said elders S. Germanus Bishop and Lupus had rooted out the Pelagian Heresie they consecrated Bishops in many places of Britanie Ouer all the Brittans dwellinge on the right side of Britanie they consecrated for Archbishop S. Dubritius whoe was chosen for the supreame doctor by the kinge and all the Diocesse This dignitie beeing bestowed vpon him by Germanus and Lupus they with the consent of Moâ—…ric the kinge the nobilitie cleargie and people appointed his See to bee at the manner of Lantaui and founded the same there to the honor of S. Peter boundinge the territories thereof in this wise c. Then hee addeth immediately This was about the yeare of Christ 430. about which time alsoe Palladius did first appoint Bishops and ordeine Bishopricks in Scotland as Buchanan hath deliuered The words of Buchanan the puritane are these Georg. Buchan l. 5. Reg. 42. pag. 146. Rer. Scotic Creditur Palladius primus Episcopus in Scotia creasse Palladius is thought to bee the first that created Bishops in Scotland Where wee are taught by these great ProtestaÌ„ts themselues that the first Bishops that euer were in this Iland whether Scotland or this other part of England and Wales were instituted together with their Sees Iurisdictions and limitts by the Popes authoritie and this Protestant Bishop in translating his Antiquitie hath abused his reader that is ignorant of the latine tonge for where hee translateth who vvas chosen for the supreame doctor by the kinge and all the diocesse there is noe such thinge in that antiquitie as hee himselfe alleadged it but only that the king consented with the diocesse to his consecration in Archiepiscopall dignitye by the Popes Legats or at the moste that they did choose him rather then any other for that hee was a cheife doctor here longe
S. Dauid was deade were longe time liuing ruling after this and yett such patrons of the Romane spirituall power with their whole cleargie as before is euidently proued by these Protestants that noe Catholick may yeeld more to the See of Rome in these then they did in those dayes And if S. Dauid was deade yett the next successors of him in that Archiepiscopall See which were Cenauc and S. Teliaus or Eliud must needs alsoe succeed him in that opinion of him towards the Roman See for though little is written of Bishop Cenauc but onely that hee was Bishop of Patern and after successor to S. Dauid in the See Archiepiscopall of S. Dauids this sufficiently conuinceth it for the Bishoprick of Paterne beeing then vnder the iurisdiction of S. Dauid 〈◊〉 cannot thinke that the Bishop thereof was otherwise affected in this matter then his soe holye and learned Metropolitane to whome hee owed obedience And his very beeing Archbishop of Meneuia immediatly after S. Dauid doth proue the same by these Protestants before Godwyn Catal. in S. Dauids Girald Cambr. itiner Cambr. antiquit eccles Meneuen apud Godwyn supr whoe haue tould vs that by the power of the Romane See Meneuia was made the Metropolis and this Bishop did not nor could accept it in any other sence or by other Title of S. Teliaus the matter is more manifest more beeinge written of him by Protestants and others that hee was Scholler to S. Dubritius the Popes Legate the vndiuided companion of S. Dauid in their holy pilgrimadge not onely soe farr as Rome but to Hierusalem it selfe where hee was consecrated Bishop and after his returne home and the death of Cenauc beeing Archbishop of Meneuia then had principalitie ouer all the churches of the west Britanie vnto the end of his life Principatum super omnes ecclesias occidentalis Britannia vsque ad â—…em vitae sua tenuit Godwyn in Landaffe Girald Cambr. Caius antiquit Cantabrig l. 1. pag. 146. Catal. Epis Landaf Ioh. Capgr in Catal in S. Thellao Engl. Martyrol die 25. Nouember And was Archbishop there at and after alsoe by some the death of S. Augustine For it is euident by the Brittish historie as it is allowed by our Protestants and by their owne chronologie of the kings of Britanie that S. Dauid himselfe liued within 16. yeares of S. Augustines coming hither Galfrid monum histor Reg. Brit. l. 11. cap. 3. Tunc obijt sanctissimus vrbis Legionum Archiepiscopus Dauid Meneuia ciuitate intra Abbatiam suam iubente Malgone Venedotorum Rege in eadem Ecclesia sepultus pro eo ponitur in Metropolitana sede Kincos Lampaternensis Ecclesia Antistes ad altiorem dignitatem promouetur Then Dauid the moste holy Archbishop of the citie of Legions died in the citie of Meneuia within his owne Abbey and by commande of Malgo kinge of North walles was buried in the same church Kincus hee which by others before is called Cenauc Bishopp of the church of Patern is placed in the Metropolitane See and promoted to an higher dignitie For as these Protestants Matthew of Westminster and others are witnesses Protest Catalog Rer. Britan. in Malgo. Matth. West an 586 581. this kinge began his Reigne in the yeare of Christ 581. or 580. so that by this calculation there cannot bee from the death of S. Dauid dyinge in this kings time and the coming of S. Augustine hither by all accompts in the yeare 596. aboue 15. or 16. yeares at the moste Soe that wee either must say these two Successor of S. Dauid liued a very short time after they were called to that dignitie the contrarie whereof is sett downe before or that S. Telaus this patrone of the See of Rome and a canonized Saint of that church was liuing in the time of S. Augustines preaching in this kingedome Which is the more confirmed by all those histories which relate the opposition of some Brittish Bishops and religions men against S. Augustine Bed lib. 2. histor cap. 2. Galfrid mon. lib. 11. hist. Matth. Westm. an 603. Capgran in S. Augustino and speaking of an Archbishop of the citie of Legions and yett not anie one of them maketh the least mention that any Archbishop did either resist S. Augustine or pretend the least dislike of the spirituall supreamacie in the See of Rome or gainesay any order or decree of the blessed Pope S. Gregorie which sent him hither nor any Protestants though diuers of them name the Bishops as they coniecture which resisted S. Augustine Matth. Parker ant Britan. in August Godwyn Conuers of Brit. Stowe histor in Ethelb Bal. l. de Act. Pont. Rom. in Gregor 1. doe once name S. Telaus or any Archiepiscopal See at S. Dauids or anye other place in Walles at that time to haue consented to that opposition Hardinge in his Cronicle maketh this matter playne that the Britans which gainsaid S. Augustine did not deny the supreame spirituall power of the Pope of Rome in Britanie at that time but rather defended and maintayned it and thereby alsoe as they thought did iustely refuse S. Augustine for when hee demaunded obedience of them thus they answeared by this Author Ioh. Hardinge Chronicle cap. 88. in Ethelbert kinge of Saxons fol. 83.84 To which BritoÌ„s answeared that they not knew That hee had such estate in all Britanie For they had three Archbishops to obeyu Of Caerlion London and Yorke citie By Bishops of Rome graunted to vs ordinate Full longe afore yee had such dignitie Wherefore wee will obey noe nevv primate And specially none English nevv prelate For Englishmen and Saxons haue vs noyed And haue our Land and all our kyn destroyed Where wee see the Britans were soe far from disallowinge the Popes Authoritie in such things that by the same they both claymed and maintayned the power and prerogatiues of three Archbishops amonge them now foure hundred yeares since But these Protestants themselues with others acknowledge that the moste renowned Bishops that were in this kingedome at that time both receaued the Authoritie of the Pope of Rome and submitted themselues to S. Augustine his holy Legate Of the holines and learninge of S. Assaph I haue spoken before yett a Protestant Bishop saith of him Bal. centur 1. in Assaph A Gregorij Pontificis Romani discipulis Angliam aduentantibus authoritatem accepit hee receaued authoritie from the disciples of Gregorie the Pope of Rome that came into England S. Asaph in the life of his Master S. KeÌ„tegern Capgraue and others after affirme as much of S. Kentegern S. Assaph Ioh. Capgrau in vit S Kentegerni that hee did acknowledg this high power in S. Gregory the Pope and receaued power and confirmation from him All our histories with generall consent affirme the same of S. Lethardus the french Bishop that liued with Queene Bertha in Kent I haue proued the same of S. Iuo the Persian Archbishop that then preached in Huntington-shire Of S. Telaus alsoe the Archbishop of